In the centre of the bilingual city of Biel, 5082 m² of asphalt are spread out. The rectangular, light grey surface is called Place de l'Esplanade. Between the Palais des Congrès, a representative modernist building, and the Coupole, the Autonomous Youth Centre founded in 1968, the square tells the story of a city between upheaval and recession and is still subject of constant change and controversial urban planning.