Between the Château building, located on the upper level, and the School of Health building below, a new footbridge restores continuity between the two facilities. It supports the site’s transformation by improving circulation, accessibility and overall functional coherence.

Located at the level of Place du Château, the historic building overlooks the main School of Health building situated further down near Place du Nord. For many years, the two buildings were connected by a concrete footbridge, forming a functional complex with classrooms distributed across different levels. As this connection no longer complied with current fire safety and accessibility requirements for persons with reduced mobility (PRM), it had to be replaced.

Restoring this essential connection involves the construction of a new footbridge closely linked to the extension project of the School of Health building. Designed to accommodate the stairwells and lift, the extension frees up space within the main building and provides part of the structural supports required for the footbridge. The new structure will connect the top floor of the School of Health building with the ground floor of the Château building. Its structure is made from Swiss timber and features a truss system ensuring the required span between the two buildings. Fully covered, it protects users from adverse weather conditions while significantly improving site accessibility, particularly for persons with reduced mobility.

Its installation represents a particularly demanding operation. As the construction site is not directly accessible, the footbridge components must be lifted over the School of Health building by crane in a dense urban environment requiring close coordination among all project stakeholders.

In the longer term, this new connection will form part of a broader development including the construction of a terrace between the two buildings. In line with the project’s material reuse strategy, the terrace is made from slabs recovered during the demolition of a former exterior wall of the School of Health building, cut to the required dimensions and reinforced for their new function.