Toulouse Cité Administrative: Bouygues Immobilier, Eclisse Promotion, and GA Smart Building win the call for projects launched by the French State and propose a true urban regeneration project that gives pride of place to rehabilitation and nature in the city.
Bouygues Immobilier, Eclisse Promotion, and GA Smart Building have been selected as the winners of the call for tenders launched by the French government in May 2024 for the transformation of the former Cité Administrative of Toulouse. Originally designed and built between 1950 and 1970 by architects Louis Hoym de Marien and Paul de Noyers, the site will become a new mixed-use complex (housing, offices, and services), ideally located in the green Compans-Caffarelli district, close to Place du Capitole and public transport.
Social rental housing, shared ownership, affordable homeownership, renovated and new free-market housing, and student accommodations: the project will meet the diverse residential needs of the people of Toulouse, in line with the objectives set by the municipality. By 2029, more than 450 family homes will be delivered, along with 7,000 m² of office space, a health center, and 1,200 m² of retail and activity space.
A new 5,000 m² public park will be created, opening up views of the historic listed ramparts and offering everyone access to this iconic site.
Each member of the consortium will bring its own expertise to this large-scale operation: Bouygues Immobilier in developing major nature-inclusive urban projects, GA Smart Building in low-carbon real estate development and off-site construction (notably for the office component), and Eclisse Promotion in delivering housing that promotes affordable homeownership and inclusivity.
Transforming and enhancing Toulouse’s architectural heritage
The rehabilitation of the Cité Administrative will preserve the historic architectural heritage while introducing modern design and mixed uses. Bordering Toulouse’s protected historic area, the project is designed as a natural extension of the city center, creating a new pedestrian link between Compans-Caffarelli and Place du Capitole.
Preserving heritage and reducing the future neighborhood’s carbon footprint were at the core of the winning proposal. The project reflects the consortium’s commitment to reshaping urban spaces to meet high housing demand while addressing environmental issues (such as carbon emissions and soil permeability).
This operation, a true demonstrator of office-to-residential transformation, aims to meet the 2028 threshold of the RE2020 environmental regulation. To do so, three existing buildings on the site will be fully renovated. The iconic tower of the former administrative center will be preserved and transformed into student housing. Two additional buildings will also be rehabilitated, maintaining the site’s identity. The site’s historic city ramparts will be enhanced and integrated into the design.
The use of lower-carbon materials (bio-sourced, geo-sourced, or low-carbon concrete) will help minimize environmental impact. The off-site construction method, used for the office building, will halve material consumption and reduce site impact by 30% compared to traditional construction methods—while limiting disturbance for nearby residents.
The consortium has appointed Valode et Pistre as lead architects, who will work closely with the French architectural heritage authority (ABF), heritage architect Rémi Papillaut, and the local municipality.
Adapting the city to climate change through nature
At the heart of the project, a 5,000 m² park will serve as both a green corridor linking to the nearby Compans-Caffarelli gardens and an urban green lung that helps fight heat islands. Under the guidance of landscape architect Mathieu Labeille (Grand Tour Paysage), many new trees and plants will be introduced. The central pond and existing vegetation will be preserved, forming the centerpiece of this new open and inclusive green space.
Nature-based solutions are becoming essential for adapting cities to climate change. Green infrastructure makes urban environments more livable and healthier, playing a key role in combating pollution and mitigating urban heat effects.
We at Bouygues Immobilier are proud to contribute to the regeneration of the city by reimagining and enhancing the iconic site of Toulouse’s former administrative center. This new neighborhood, which will give pride of place to urban nature, will perfectly meet the residential needs of Toulouse’s inhabitants and the expectations of the local community, while addressing the challenges of climate change.
Our century-old group has been involved in public housing policies in Toulouse and the Midi-Pyrénées region since its inception. In this capacity—and as a native of Toulouse—it is with great passion and enthusiasm that we are committed to this emblematic project. Our ambition is to open up the administrative center to the people of Toulouse, to bring in greenery, to enhance its heritage marked by both medieval and modern eras, and to design with tomorrow’s building and environmental standards. This is what we are striving to achieve with this partnership.
We are very pleased to be working, in close collaboration with the City of Toulouse, Bouygues Immobilier, Eclisse Promotion, and Valode & Pistre, on the ambitious transformation of the former administrative center. This project showcases our ability—thanks to our expertise in low-carbon real estate development and off-site construction—to imagine and deliver urban renewal projects with low environmental impact that meet the needs of users while preserving historical heritage.
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Amandine Guillaume
Director of Communications & Marketing
