DPA-X and indigo group explore the car parks of the future

DPA-X, the integrated research platform of dominique perrault’s practice, has carried out a major study of underground parking architecture. the firm has teamed up with indigo group, the world’s largest car park operator, to imagine what the parking garage of the future could look like. ‘it is clear that tomorrow’s car park will no longer be a simple inert storage space, but that it will be transformed to integrate changes in mobility by becoming a place at the service of users and vehicles,’ says the introduction to the report, which is titled ‘car park futures — opportunities in the underground’.

DPA-X and indigo group will be launching an international architecture competition on designboom that will explore the car parks of the future and how they will facilitate the mobility revolution. read more about the report below and stay tuned as more details about this exciting opportunity will be announced on designboom soon.

parking du capitole, toulouse
image © archives municipales de toulouse

the study says that the underground parking garages of the future will host a range of programs and services, from logistics and storage areas to mobility services and energy management. by questioning the common perception of underground spaces being dark and hostile places, the study seeks to embrace these subterranean settings as resources that complement urban activity at ground level.

design principles
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, and indigo group

the study begins by asking three questions: what answers can underground car park infrastructure bring to the current mobility revolution?; can subterranean spaces be diversified in terms of program to respond to the many challenges raised by emerging mobilities?; can subterranean spaces be redefined through design to serve users’ daily life and become a common consideration for planners?

place vendôme, paris
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, and indigo group

the team began by analyzing the history and location of underground car parks, such as the invisible garage beneath place vendôme in paris. built by GTM, now indigo group, a five-storey parking garage allows the historic plaza above to retain its original appearance and serve as a public square for pedestrians. DPA-X points out that underground car parks have no façade and only interiors — they are mainly defined by their sites.

street profile — 21st century
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, and indigo group

the study also examines the modern streetscape and its embedded utilities and services, including: sewage, water, gas, electricity, phone lines, internet cables, and even transit routes. with available space in cities becoming increasingly rare, the report views the metropolitan underground as an untapped resource.

scenario 01: parking retrofit
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, indigo group, arqui9

after examining a number of precedents, the report identifies four scenarios for underground parking garages: car park retrofit; deep square; deep avenue; and deep ground. the first scenario, ‘parking retrofit’, concerns the re-conversion of existing underground car parks, mainly in dense historic metropolitan areas. the ‘deep square’ is a city square typology where amenities are integrated underground to open up the surface level or to service a multi-purpose hall, while the ‘deep avenue’ is a multi-level street infrastructure that can be ‘unrolled’ below the main circulation axes of dense metropolises. finally, the ‘deep ground’ scenario consists of creating a thick common ground below and between buildings integrating services and utilities.

groundscaping and transport connection
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, indigo group, arqui9

the report concludes by considering the sustainability of underground buildings, stating that they are ‘naturally more sustainable’. the analysis adds that both new and reconverted underground car parks could achieve the highest level of sustainability certifications. other relevant issues, such as digital mapping and the design requirements of self-driving vehicles, are also examined. read the report in full on DPA-X’s website here.

cultural spaces in a reconverted underground parking lot
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, indigo group, arqui9

scenario 02: deep square
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, indigo group, arqui9

a multi-purpose markethall spread over several levels
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, indigo group, arqui9

dedicated logistic areas for users and businesses
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, indigo group, arqui9

non-human light industries occupy the lowest levels and use the ground’s energy
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, indigo group, arqui9

a thick common ground servicing several buildings at once
image © ADAGP, dominique perrault architecture, indigo group, arqui9

project info:

car park futures — opportunities in the underground
sub_estate for indigo group
a report by DPA-X consultancy with dominique perrault architecture

DPA-X: octave perrault with camille abeille, chang fan, fabien pacory, claire marrache, julien pringuet, ernesto urquizar
DPA: dominique perrault with louis hénaux, gaëlle lauriot-prévost, denis thélot
indigo group: serge clémente with olivier challe, coline chaumont, philippe deval, sébastien fraisse, vincent miller, paul valencia, benjamin voron
3D visuals: arqui9
video: timothy george kelly, gaétan nivon
graphic design: thomas hervé