Transformation of the Sugar Factory, La Réunion
The AREP Group's programming team in La Réunion is supporting the municipality of Saint-Pierre in the transformation of the former Pierrefonds sugar factory, a piece of 19th-century industrial heritage.
In partnership with Resiliens and Le Troisième Pôle, AREP is conducting a study that bridges architectural and urban scales. This aims to establish a shared vision for a high-stakes site, invigorate the area, and provide project owners with the tools to realise their ambitions.
AREP’s approach will focus on integrating diverse scales to transform the remote Pierrefonds neighbourhood into a new hub. This is especially pertinent given the proximity of the factory rehabilitation project, inactive since 1970, to two evolving areas: the Roland Hoareau joint development zone, designated for economic purposes, and the Pierrefonds Village zone, set to host 800 new homes across 60 hectares. These emerging districts will serve as catalysts to reintegrate the former factory and its surroundings.
The primary task for our teams is to design a mixed-use project incorporating offices, shops, a hotel, an exhibition space, and outdoor developments. Our goal is to breathe new life into the area surrounding the 19th-century Pierrefonds sugar factory, closed since 1970, and restore its historic significance.
