Les Halles, known as the “stomach of Paris” during its days as the French capital’s wholesale food market and more recently an un-loved 1970s transit hub and 1980s shopping mall, is poised for a makeover. Last month the Conseil de Paris approved plans for a glowing shell-like structure, designed by architects Patrick Berger and Jacques Anziutti, that will contain cultural facilities.

Berger and Anziutti’s scheme for an undulating, canopy-shaped building replaces above-ground elements of Forum des Halles, a 15-acre shopping complex that extends five levels below ground. A 10-acre rectangular garden of Les Halles and the surrounding streets will be redesigned by David Mangin.