The Artificial Lake

The artificial lake is the first element proposed by the architect Olivier-Clément Cacoub for the creation of the university campus. The main idea being to integrate the patrimonial landscape with the natural landscape, the lake is today the heart of the campus.

The Lake : Heart of the Campus

The Orleans university campus is recognized for integrating student buildings into the remarkable natural space.

The construction project for the artificial lake is thus the first proposed by Olivier-Clément Cacoub. The architect’s goal was to integrate the urban landscape into the natural landscape, thus explaining the presence of a rich biodiversity within the campus.

Built between 1969 and 1972, the artificial lake is made up of bitumen and gravel. It constitutes a counter-balance between the humine zone and the dry zone, made up of trees and vegetation. It is also thought of as a place of passage, explaining the presence of numerous footbridges overhanging it.

Aerial view on the artificial lake, 1969-1970, ©Orléans Métropole, Municipal and communautary Archives

The Lake in 2021

The lake is inhabited by birds, ducks and fish, integrated naturally, and which once again recall the desire to join natural heritage to architectural heritage on the campus.

A conference is to be held from May 10 to 12, 2021 on Ponds and Lakes: understanding, management and enhancement of limnic landscapes.

The lake from the hill viewpoint 2021, © Marion Gondoin
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