[Project] Grand Paris Express Bobigny–Pablo Picasso Station: an inhabited infrastructure

Engaged within Line 15 of the Grand Paris Express, the Bobigny–Pablo Picasso station is now entering its construction phase.

Beneath the apparent stillness of the ground, the project unfolds through a precise engineering system that shapes the conditions of a future environment.

An inhabited slab, interface between ground and depth

The project defines a specific condition: a level 0 slab designed as an active ground.

Both transfer structure and usable surface, it hosts:

• a garden, a living layer where new urban cycles take root,
• light wells, precisely carved openings that bring natural light down to level S1 and create atmospheric continuity between surface and depth.

An underground “factory” built in a controlled sequence

As with all deep Grand Paris stations, the structure follows a layered construction process:

• deep foundations using diaphragm wall techniques, built from the surface and reaching over 35 metres, forming a continuous structural enclosure capable of withstanding ground and water pressures,
• successive slabs cast in place, progressively leveling the space while acting as working platforms,
• bottom-up excavation (“top-down” / “inverse construction”), carried out beneath these slabs, revealing the station volume layer by layer.

The infrastructure is no longer just a support system: it becomes a living environment, permeated by air, light, and life, contributing notably to the station’s natural ventilation systems.

Ultimately, the breakthrough of the tunnel boring machine will connect the station to the wider metropolitan network of Line 15 — the moment when the structure opens and becomes part of the system.

Through structural optimisation enabling an approximate 10% reduction in concrete volumes (excavation + superstructure), the project embraces construction sobriety while reshaping a territory long dominated by car infrastructure.

Planned opening: 2031

Thanks to all teams: Société des grands projets (project owner overseeing the Grand Paris Express), Grand Paris Express, Eiffage, architecturestudio

© Hervé Piraud