From ages 7 to 77, they visited Chapelle Charbon in VR

On Sunday, September 27, 2026, Paris & Métropole Aménagement opened the doors to the Chapelle Charbon construction site, in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. Among the tools offered to the public, Vectuel deployed a virtual reality experience that allowed hundreds of visitors to move through the future neighborhood before its completion.

Future residents, neighbors, walkers, and professionals: from ages 7 to 77, everyone was able to stroll through the future park, discover the public spaces, and get a concrete idea of the atmosphere of tomorrow's neighborhood.

Chapelle Charbon, a park neighborhood in north-eastern Paris

Set on a former railway logistics site, the Chapelle Charbon project is led by Paris & Métropole Aménagement for the City of Paris. The ZAC (joint development zone), created in 2018, covers 9 hectares and is organized around a large park of about 6.5 hectares in the long term, the first part of which has been open to the public since 2020.

The program plans for approximately 28,200 m² of housing, shops, and public facilities, including a school group. A neighborhood under construction, therefore, a large part of which remains invisible to local residents.

A day to discover the project in all its forms

The "The construction sites open their doors to you" day offered several ways to experience the project:

• tours of lots B1 and C, including the show apartment and common areas;

• discovery of the facade prototype garden;

• presentation of the physical model and the urban, architectural, and landscape choices;

• 3D immersion in virtual reality with Vectuel;

• meetings and discussions with the project's key actors;

• family activities organized by local community associations.

The project was also explained on a regional scale: around sixty participants took part in the urban walks organized by the CAUE de Paris, dedicated to the history of this sector of the 18th arrondissement and the transformations underway in northeastern Paris.

Virtual reality to project oneself into the future neighborhood

With a headset on, each visitor finds themselves at human scale in the neighborhood as it will be once completed. The experience, designed by Vectuel from the 3D model of the project, allows users to:

• stroll through the future park;

• discover the transformations of the neighborhood and its public spaces;

• discuss, with family or neighbors, the future of the area.

« This 3D immersion allows you to move through the future neighborhood and experience first-hand the upcoming transformations, public spaces, and the atmosphere of the future neighborhood. » — Paris & Métropole Aménagement

Throughout the day, Manon Georges and Jean-Guillaume Despres, from the Vectuel team, assisted visitors with the headset. VR does not replace the physical model or the site visits: it complements them, by showing what cannot yet be explored on foot.

For those who were unable to attend, Paris & Métropole Aménagement offers a 3D version of the future neighborhood online.

Why does immersion help to understand an urban project?

Plans, perspectives, and physical models remain essential, but they require an effort of interpretation. Immersion at a 1:1 scale makes the project immediately readable, regardless of the visitor's age or familiarity with urban planning. The resulting discussions then focus on substance: the use of the park, walkways, and the location of future facilities.

This is the approach Vectuel is developing with Urban VR® for virtual reality and Urban Story® for interactive 3D modeling, two solutions deployed for Chapelle Charbon. The same approach guided the public at the Fabrique du Métro in discovering the future stations of the Grand Paris Express.

Thanks to Paris & Métropole Aménagement, the Mairie du 18e, and all the partners, project actors, and associations mobilized to make this day a time of discovery and exchange.

Key Takeaways

• 1 open house day at the Chapelle Charbon construction site, on Sunday, September 27, 2026

• Hundreds of visitors immersed in virtual reality, aged 7 to 77

• Around sixty participants in the urban walks organized by the CAUE de Paris

• 9 hectares of ZAC and a park of about 6.5 hectares in the long term

• More than 50 cities modeled in 3D by Vectuel since 2004

FAQ

Where is the future Chapelle Charbon neighborhood located?

In the 18th arrondissement of Paris, between Rue de la Chapelle and Rue d'Aubervilliers, on a former railway site. The project is being developed by Paris & Métropole Aménagement for the City of Paris.

What does virtual reality achieve during a construction site open house day?

It allows the public to walk at human scale through a neighborhood that does not yet exist: the future park, the public spaces, the atmosphere of the streets. Everyone gets their own sense of the project, without having to interpret a plan.

Does virtual reality replace the physical model?

No. At Chapelle Charbon, VR complemented the model, the exhibition, the facade prototypes, and the site visits. Each medium answers a different question; VR answers the question of feeling, "what will my street look like?".

Can we discover the future neighborhood without a VR headset?

Yes. Paris & Métropole Aménagement provides a 3D version of the future neighborhood, which can be viewed online from their website.