Les Ateliers Gaîté - A vibrant destination

October 19, 2022

On October 19, 2022, we celebrated the full opening of Les Ateliers Gaîté and inaugurated a three-floor shopping and lifestyle destination, the final part of the people-centric and sustainable mixed-use redevelopment project in the heart of the Montparnasse district in Paris.

Developed in partnership with the City of Paris and designed by famed architect Winy Maas and his architecture and urban planning firm MVRDV, this 1.5-hectare programme offers everything that makes a neighbourhood’s life convenient yet vibrant, from housing to offices, shops, dining, entertainment and public services, all in a welcoming environment and with sustainability at its core. With more than 5 years of work involving deep consideration for how Parisians live today, Les Ateliers Gaîté integrates the revived district with the local community, creating better connectivity with the surrounding neighbourhood while acting as a catalyst for the broader regeneration of Montparnasse. The mixed-use redevelopment manifests our commitment to creating unique, sustainable places that Reinvent Being Together.

A vibrant destination: the essence of the new Parisian lifestyle

With Les Ateliers Gaîté, we have created a hip and vibrant destination offering a full range of amenities in one walkable neighbourhood. The project featuress 62 social housing units, the new Wojo flagship, a top-notch 13,000 m² coworking space, the renovated Pullman Paris Montparnasse operated by Accor, as well as public services, such as a health centre, library and childcare, alongside a three-floor 28,000 sqm shopping and lifestyle destination gathering 60 shops, entertainment, a food offer and more. As Anne-Sophie Sancerre, Chief Operating Officer Southern Europe, says, “We’ve thrown out the rulebook for shopping centres and invented a new mixed-use destination for all, going beyond retail to adapt to the local needs.”

Reflecting its name, Les Ateliers Gaîté (“The Gaîté Workshops” in French) has invited major brands to deploy their latest concepts on site. The aim is to offer an immersive, diversified and urban experience enabling customers to learn and better manage their consumption. For example:

E.Leclerc, a renowned French hypermarket chain, opens a new location in the centre of Paris, introducing a new urban concept with a market-like atmosphere;
DIY chain Mr. Bricolage will offer customers workshops and tools to boost their home improvement skills;
sports equipment brand Go Sport will be developing its new experiential concept with bike repair, textile flocking workshops and tailor-made expert support;
gardening store Truffaut will provide customer training in addition to plants, tools and pets;
and consumer goods chain Darty will highlight its customisation and repair services, promoting a circular-economy approach.

Several new concepts will also make their exciting debut in the Parisian scene, such as:

Food Society, a new food hall concept open 7/7, unique on the Parisian market, gathering 15 restaurants, a cocktail bar and a central bar, a wine-cellar and gourmet shop;
the Berlin phenomenon John Reed, proposing a unique mix of fitness, music and design;
and Time Tripper, a new-generation action game concept combining puzzles, challenges and time travel on 1,000 m² of floorspace (to open in November).

In addition, the destination will welcome sustainable lifestyle brands like CrushON, a new brand of second-hand clothing committed to circular and sustainable fashion, and Kilo Shop, a pioneer of vintage clothes sold by weight.