Arte Charpentier is pleased to announce the PhD defense of Sophia Verguin, architect at Arte Charpentier, who carried out her doctoral research as part of a CIFRE agreement, in partnership with Le Mans University and the Ecole nationale superieure d’architecture de Paris-Val de Seine.

Entitled: S/Chopping mall, the shopping mall in the making of the city. An emerging element of centrality?, this thesis explores the potential for shopping malls to transform into urban centers. Through an approach combining typology, film analysis, case studies, and experimentation using the serious game Ville·s En-Jeux, Sophia Verguin offers a critical and forward-looking perspective on this urban object.

Discover the teaser she created for the occasion

Practical information
Date: Thursday, July 3, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
Venue: Universite Paris Cite, Amphitheatre 12E
10 rue Françoise Dolto, 75013 Paris
Streaming link: youtube.com/live/DVbppMmu130

An exhibition of her work will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Ecole nationale superieure d’architecture de Paris-Val de Seine, 3/15 quai Panhard et Levassor, 75013 Paris.

Jury members

This work was carried out with the support of ESO Le Mans, Le Mans Université, CERILAC, University Paris Cite, ENSAPVS, and Arte Charpentier.

The agency is proud to have supported this research, which is fully aligned with its commitment to innovation, applied research, and the evolution of contemporary urban design.