A Park atop a Train Station
If you have time to kill before catching your train at Gare Montparnasse, Jardin Atlantique provides a peaceful respite from the hurry-scurry of a major train hub. You don’t even have to cross a street to get there — Jardin Atlantique lies directly above the maze of corridors and platforms of Gare Montparnasse.
Below, an aerial view of the park from the Observation Deck of the adjacent Tour Montparnasse, with train tracks trailing to the south. The west side of the park features tennis courts and table tennis, while the paths of the east side connect themed garden “rooms.”
Jardin Atlantique, surrounded on three sides by prosaic office buildings, might not look like much from above. However, a stroll around the park reveals a surprising variety of trails, plants, and sculptural walls. Below, a boardwalk passes through the Room of Waving Grasses:
A relatively new addition to Paris’ green spaces, Jardin Atlantique was created in 1994.
An elevated boardwalk:
The park commemorates the historic role of Gare Montparnasse in connecting Paris with the northwest coast of France. Below, the wavy blue fence and pine trees evoke the coast of Brittany.
The lamp posts along the sunning deck suggest the masts of a ship.
A sculptural wall in the Room of Blues and Mauves:
The circular Room of Silence:
A pool reflects the natural surroundings of the park. It also provides a watery window into a corridor where travelers pulling luggage navigate the limbo of the train station.
Ping pong tables and tennis courts along the western side.
A fountain sculpture in the center of the park:
A viewing platform (in case you don’t have time for the Observation Deck at the top of Tour Montparnasse):
There’s more to explore in Jardin Atlantique. Hopefully I’ll be in Paris again, with time to kill waiting for a train . . .
Next: Fences & Benches
Camille Martin
Rogue Embryo 