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The largest third place in Paris will soon close its doors

undefined undefined 22 juillet 2025 undefined 17h00

The Editor

© Plateau Urbain

By December 2025, the Citizen Arches, an enormous solidarity and cultural third place located in the heart of Paris, will have to hand over the keys. In two years, this temporary occupation project has allowed over 1,200 people to work in affordable spaces, within a unique ecosystem in the capital. For them, it’s time to think about what’s next. 

One of the solidarity islands in the densest city in France will soon be no more. Since 2023, the Citizen Arches, located in the former headquarters of the Public Assistance-Hospitals of Paris across from the City Hall (4th), have been home to a 30,000 m² third place dedicated to social and solidarity economy, arts, and culture. After two years of full-speed activity, this chapter is about to close: by the end of the year, the 475 occupants must have vacated the premises, which are earmarked for a large real estate project mixing shops and housing, as our colleagues from Nouvel Économiste report.


A pioneering concept

Managed since its opening by the Plateau Urbain cooperative, a specialist in transitional urban planning, the site of the Citizen Arches has been completely redesigned to welcome artists, craftsmen, associations, and collectives at affordable prices. cute; – around 21 €/m² on average. A rare place, embodying a model of solidarity and sharing in a city where land pressure often pushes out the most vulnerable. Every day, more than 1,200 people crossed paths in the hallways of the Victoria and Saint-Martin buildings, creating a real hive of local initiatives. By temporarily occupying an unused property waiting for renovations, this third place was already hinting at the future transformation of the site into "Citizen Hospitalities", a more inclusive housing concept.


After the Arches, the Blur 

The announced closure leaves the future of the 475 hosted structures hanging in the balance. Without guaranteed relocation solutions, Plateau Urbain advises residents to band together to approach municipalities or explore options in the suburbs, where rents are less expensive. The cooperative itself offers other sites, although most are fully booked. Among them, the former La Rochefoucauld hospital, in the 14th arrondissement, which recently opened and exemplifies the continuation of this dynamic of temporary occupation despite the dwindling availability of vacant spaces. A lifeline for some, but far from able to accommodate all the associations from the Arches. Before saying goodbye to the third place, they will, however, be able to host one last artistic residency, "Reconnect with Death", which will explore fears, taboos, and the human condition in the face of mortality. mbre à novembre prochains.