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Key figures

Origin and history

The Atlantic Garden is a modern Parisian park located in the Necker district of the 15th arrondissement, designed as a green space suspended above the tracks of the Montparnasse railway station. Accessible from the Place des Cinq-Martyrs-du-Lycée-Buffon or directly from the station, it extends over 3.5 hectares and includes various amenities: lawns, fountains, children's playground, and sports facilities. Its landscaped layout, inspired by the Atlantic facades, mixes European and American species, with a predominance of pines evoking the coastline.

This project, conceived since the 1960s, was created in 1994 thanks to the construction of the Atlantic TGV station, which made it possible to concretise the idea of a slab covering the quays formerly open air. The landscapers François Brun and Michel Péna designed this hanging garden, while the architect Jean-Marie Duthilleul produced the work bearing the slab and the underground parking lot. The park also includes sculptures by Bernard Vié, placed on masts along the surrounding buildings.

The Atlantic garden combines functionality and aesthetics: its 130 hoppers provide ventilation of the station and underground parking, while its oceanic theme is suggested by vegetation, wave shapes and furniture reminiscent of shipbuilding. Despite some of the facilities currently out of service, such as the Meteorological Observatory and the Fountain of Île des Hesperides, the park remains an emblematic place in the 15th arrondissement, surrounded by the bars of buildings of the Maine-Montparnasse ensemble.

At the southwest corner of the garden was once the windmill of Rings, mentioned on plans of the seigneury of Vanves in the 18th century. This historical detail contrasts with the modernity of the park, which embodies a fusion of industrial heritage (the station) and recomposed nature, offering Parisians a space of relaxation and leisure in the heart of the city.

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