1st prize Banque cantonale du Valais, Sion – Concours ouvert 1er prix
Extract from the jury’s report: “The new park extends well beyond the BCVs block to the east, integrating the Sacré-Coeur square and its outdoor facilities into its logic. The freely undulating exterior design and the absence of sidewalks create a fluidity and breathing space that gives a new identity to the city center. A network of paths and permeable plazas are outlined in the vegetation, offering multiple places to relax and very varied views of the park. The vegetation participates in its framing thanks to its different strata, herbaceous, shrubby and wooded, composing with the existing arborization. The relaxation spaces meet the diversified needs of the users: an urban lounge in connection with the Avenue des Mayennets, a water game in place of the current fountain and a playground with a canopy to the west, in connection with the intergenerational space of the aquarium. The transition with the dwellings to the south of the park is skilfully formalized with terraces, also integrating the entrance to the underground parking lot. (…) In the aquarium the authors of the project propose an intergenerational assignment, in relation with the park. The will to make the park more open to the whole population of Sion is underlined by this idea and can only be welcomed.
The “phoenix” project is convincing thanks to its subtle balance between an identity affirmed by the new BCVs building and its architectural and landscaping concept, which contributes to urban and social renewal. It offers a timeless and relaxed image of the bank which plays a key role in the economic fabric of the Valais.