400 visitors took part in the escape game at ECT’s Villeneuve-sous-Dammartin site (77)

Sunday September 24 – For the first time, Villeneuve-sous-Dammartin, Ile-de-France’s largest excavated soil reclamation site, opened its doors to the general public. In glorious sunshine, 402 adventurers took part in our escape game. A look back at a fun, educational and enthusiastic day. 

An invitation to discover the reuse of excavated soil

The general public was able to discover the Villeneuve-sous-Dammartin site and gain a new perspective on its future.

An escape game was organized to reveal all the facets of the site: from the transformation of excavated soil to its contribution to biodiversity and local activity.

Were they going to see it all?

With the help of their adventure logs, players followed the cycle of the soil, its use by machinery, and its reuse to create natural environments or farmland.

A 3-kilometre loop, a trail of 5 riddles

The earth cycle in 4 stages
  • Let’s plant! : Reusing excavated soil for landscaping means restoring fertility. And create new natural spaces such as woods, wetlands and meadows, as well as crops with orchards and agricultural fields.
  • In search of living creatures: Part of the site has been renatured. Many living creatures have found favorable habitats here. They make their home here, as do the protected species of Tawny Owl and the Little Egret.
  • Machines and jobs: Dozens of site machine operators work on the site. These public works machines are essential for earth reception, earthworks and site development.
  • Lands! Terres! The excavated soil that arrives on site reflects the geology of the Ile-de-France region. The game was about discovering these noble materials, traced and controlled from their original construction site to the ECT site.

Final Riddle: “The Eye of Heaven

The ECT site is still in operation, but a monumental work of art has already seen the light of day! The highlight of the visit is the discovery of “L’Œil du Ciel”, a 400-metre-long work of land art designed by architect and artist Antoine Grumbach and to be built by ECT in 2023. This exceptional project is on a par with the development of the largest site for the reuse of excavated soil in the Paris region. Now visible to Roissy CDG passengers, “L’Œil du Ciel” will eventually become a park open to the public, surrounded by fields.

Testimonials and smiles

Relive the adventure

See photos of the Escape Game

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