Picture this Rue Docteur Bouchut in Lyon. A bustling thoroughfare it connects Rue Garibaldi to Rue des Cuirassiers. Its history is surprisingly recent. The street as we know it didn’t exist until around 1970. Before that it was part of Rue Mazenod. The military caserns of La Part Dieu were here. They were replaced by a large shopping centre.
The Rue Docteur Bouchut is named after Monsieur and Madame Leon Bouchut. They were benefactors of Lyon. Their generous legacy still supports schools and elderly care. Leon Bouchut was even president of the museums commission. He donated to the Museum of Fine Arts. He was born in Lyon in 1881. He died in 1971. His wife Elisabeth Henriette Marcelle Garnier shared his philanthropic spirit.
Today Rue Docteur Bouchut is a wide street. It has separate roadways for cars. A row of bushes divides them. The north sidewalk is particularly wide. It was renovated around 2000. Trees line it separating pedestrians and cyclists. The south side is dominated by modern buildings. There is a large glass structure with numerous vertical columns. Then a huge concrete block follows. A smaller glass and concrete building completes the row. Each building stands isolated.
In 2024 construction continues on the corner of Rue Garibaldi. The building at the corner of Rue du Lac remains. Silex 2 is visible. It is a modern building with white stripes and glass panes. The Part Dieu tower is in the background. On the north side buildings are set back. The large cube of the administrative city is visible. The Part Dieu tower can be seen from here. Large stairs lead to a kind of balcony. This balcony is at the south entrance of the shopping center.
The shopping center itself is a long cube. It is covered with geometric concrete panels. Some describe its architecture as resembling a mosque. It only lacks a minaret they say. In front of the cube a large area is planted with trees. This area remains unused awaiting a lucrative sale. The new administrative city was built around these plane trees in 2024. A white building with vertical openings can be seen. The shopping mall is larger and whiter than before. A huge staircase ascends its east side. A smaller one leads to a raised square.
A small walkway continues under the trees. These trees hide the library and its brown silo. Temporary barriers and fencing mask the provisional roadway. Certira has its entrance on the street. Many shops in the shopping centre have the address 17 Rue Bouchut. Carrefour is the largest of these. Other buildings open onto perpendicular streets. Sometimes charity organizations set up at the shopping center’s entrance. The offset alleyway running from the mall to Boulevard Vivier Merle is currently bordered by construction fencing. In 2023 Fred Mortagne displayed his photos of the AO auditorium on it. A QR code offers musical accompaniment.
So next time you stroll along Rue Docteur Bouchut remember its story. A story of transformation. A story of benefactors. A story of modern architecture. A story interwoven with the past and present of Lyon.