[6] The enterprise was set in motion to capitalize on a project to extend the A10 autoroute right into Montparnasse, although that was called off by Paris mayor Jacques Chirac in 1977 after protests from local residents.
Spun off from an earlier Quartier latin club called Le Petit Journal due to the newspaper clippings that adorned its walls,[14] it was the largest of the two at roughly 500 m2 (5,400 sq ft),[15] and became one of Paris' best known jazz venues.
[17] Claude Bolling, Manu Dibango, Richard Galliano, Didier Lockwood and Michel Petrucciani are among those who have headlined there.
[15] A strategy committee for the rehabilitation of Montparnasse was formed in 2005 as a joint venture between various local and regional governments,[21] but few tangible initiatives came out of it.
[25] It was re-announced in 2015[26] with the "Montparnasse 2020" plan, which included an extensive rebuild of îlot Vandamme Nord and a reorganization of the nearby railway station.
[23] Concurrently, Dutch agency MVRDV received formal approval to oversee the former, under the direction of co-founder Winy Maas.
[2] The office floors located above the mall were rebuilt and expanded into a new 6-storey[30] volume, offering a cumulative surface of circa 13,000 m2 (140,000 sq ft).
[1] To secure the city of Paris' approval, URW agreed to contribute new and improved public service facilities to the complex.
[36] It was touted as the first new rink built in Paris proper since 1930,[11] which omitted the smallish Sporting Victor-Hugo and the then outdoor (later covered) Patinoire Pailleron.