LE SPOT: street art, urban forest and sports area in Joinville-le-Pont, opening in 2025

The town of Joinville-le-Pont, in the Val-de-Marne region of France, has decided to offer its residents a new cultural, artistic, nature and family site, dubbed LE SPOT. The idea? Transform the "abandoned" area of the A4 freeway into an open-air gallery, urban forest and sports venue. We tell you more about this project, due for completion in spring 2025, in the south-east of the Paris region.

When a former wasteland is transformed into a place dedicated to young people, combining sport, nature, culture and art! This is the ambitious renaturation and development project currently being carried out by the municipality of Joinville-le-Pont. The Val-de-Marne town has decided to transform the " derelict" area of the A4 freeway into a new site, dubbed LE SPOT.

Situated beneath the famous road, this long strip of land had become derelict over the years. So the Ile-de-France municipality decided to take action. In the near future, this formerly vast, unused area beneath the viaduct will be home to an open-air gallery dedicated to street art, with 10,000m² of painted surface.

To dress the various pillars and ceilings, 13 street artists from 9 different countries were invited to take part in the project. According to Mouarf from Notorious Brand, contacted by telephone on October 23. Notorious Brand is an urban art production and promotion agency, responsible for numerous frescoes in the Paris region, including in the metro and on the walls of Necker Hospital. He also organized the Gravity festival for the GoodPlanet Foundation. On the strength of his experience, Notorious Brand has been chosen to"curate" this beautiful project in Joinville-le-Pont.

On his social networks, where we discover that work has already begun, Notorious Brand has already revealed the names of the first three artists taking part in the Spot: Spain's Alegria del Prado, Italy's Refreshink and Sweden's Huge.

In addition to the artistic side, LE SPOT will also unveil an urban forest, with 33,000 new plants between Quai de Polangis and Avenue Jean Estienne d'Orves. The idea? To create an " urban lung " for families and residents of Joinville-le-Pont, as well as local schools, says Mouarf.

Last but not least, because LE SPOT is dedicated to young people, the Ile-de-France site will also feature a sports area, including a skatepark, a pump track for BMX enthusiasts, a parkour area, a climbing course, as well as two 3x3 basketball courts and two 5x5 soccer fields.

The new sports and leisure area will be open to all. It " embodies the city's strong commitment to the vitality and well-being of its residents. [...] In keeping with the spirit of the times, this new facility is much more than just a place to practice sports: it's a place for sharing and conviviality, conducive to the creation of links between generations and the general public," explains the town on its website.

So, can't wait to discover THE SPOT? Until it opens in spring 2025, you can follow the progress onNotorious Brand's Instagram!