Inauguration of La Forge: A New Space Dedicated to Action-Based Learning

A new space dedicated to active learning

Inaugurated on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, on the Paris campus of Mines Paris – PSL, La Forge was presented in the presence of Sébastien Martin, Minister Delegate for Industry, Marc Guillaume, Prefect of the Île-de-France region and Prefect of Paris, and Jean-Pierre Lecocq, Mayor of the 6th arrondissement.

Olivier Andriès, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mines Paris – PSL, and Godefroy Beauvallet, Chief Executive Officer, opened the event by highlighting the ambitions behind this new space: to support an action-based pedagogy grounded in experimentation, collaborative work, and interdisciplinarity, serving the training of engineering students.

The building was designed as a tool for “learning by doing,” fostering collective projects and interactions between teaching and research.

A building at the heart of the Grand Quartz project

Designed by Thalès Architecture under the direction of architect Hans Naser, La Forge is part of the Grand Quartz project, a renovation and expansion program for the historic site of Mines Paris – PSL, located at 60 boulevard Saint-Michel.

This project is supported by the French government’s recovery plan and notably accompanies the growth in enrollment in the Engineering Degree (Ingénieur civil) program, as well as the evolution of teaching practices.

A versatile space dedicated to experimentation

La Forge was designed as a flexible and adaptable facility. It hosts teaching activities, engineering projects, research work, and demonstration setups, particularly around immersive technologies.

A dedicated room for virtual and augmented reality enables the exploration of new pedagogical and scientific uses, closely aligned with the work conducted within the School’s research centers.

The building also serves as an open space, intended to welcome academic, industrial, and institutional partners, and to strengthen interactions between Mines Paris – PSL and its wider ecosystem.

A site rooted in a long history

Located on a site with a long record of human occupation, La Forge is part of a historical continuum highlighted in particular by archaeological excavations carried out on campus. These findings recall the succession of uses of the site over the centuries, from early activities to successive transformations and the ongoing development of teaching and research functions.

A new milestone for the Paris campus

With La Forge, Mines Paris – PSL continues the transformation of its Paris campus and reinforces its role within Université PSL. This new facility supports the evolution of teaching methods and strengthens the School’s ability to train engineers committed to major ecological and digital transitions.

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