2009 – The Southern Star _ Nice France

 

 
Program Palais des Festivals, Restaurants, Cafés
Owner Association Le Phare
Place Dalle Infernet, Nice, France
Area 14 000 m² and 16 000 m² (public square)
Team Eric Cassar, Lucie Rieutord, Sana Oualha, Khanh Pham, Haï Le

General principles A huge public place open to the harbor. A building which acts both as a link and as a place to stay.
 

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First there is light and flicker, then the Klein Blue dialogues with the blue of the sea and the colorful buildings of the port …

This project is both functional and suitable for its context, mingles with the great landscape in which it sometimes fades to reappear.
Far light, it then proposes a twinge for a dip in the deep blue, sea, sky, horizon, infinity ….
It is the theater of all kinds of events, festivals, exhibitions, congresses, which aggregate all the talents, where curiosity and openness reign supreme.
It is the view of the harbor and town toward the future, a link and a meeting place for all Nice. Distinguished by its originality, suitable for those who work, live and bring daily life, it becomes a landmark, an image of the city. It expands its international reputation.

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Our objective is first to design a project for all the inhabitants of Nice, a new space for life and pleasure in line with the potential of the area and its flavors.

 
The site, a key for the city… Objective: to benefit from its comlexity

Forward on the sea, the site is the connexion between the neighborhood of the Harbor and the Angel Bay, including the neighborhood of the Old Nice. This architecture is therefore the link and the meeting point. Prerequisite to go from one place to another, this project has to build a strong relation between the different neighborhoods while proposing a new kind of rest stop and a space open to the sea.
More, the site links the city to the sea (like a harbor) and the city to the sky (as an air corridor is passing close). It integrates as well a departure plateform. The project is a crossing point and a waiting area, visible from everywhere.

 
The movement architecture

Since the beginning, we wanted the project to starts from the sea and go meeting the sky. That’s why we included the pier: the building acts as a relief or a landscape. It extends beyond the limits definied by the triangular parcel of the flagstone Infernet.
The project is starting from the lighthouse with some « trays terraces » that go out from the sea (and invite people to bathe as well) and slightly metamorphose into wings to reach the sky.
The project is a movement architecture as it takes into account all the points of view of observers, fix or moving, inside, above or in the distance. « Multifaceted », the building is mysterious, different from each point of view. Like the sea, it reinvents itself.

 
The interior: fluidity, flexibility

The building is located above a parking and under the large public place. Two annex buildings (including a panoramic restaurant) are below the wings and open on the other side of the « Angel Bay ». The entrance of light and the views are located at some strategic places. On the north, the building is wide open to the city and on the east towards the harbor. The space is ajustable and can welcome every kind of program. As all the roofs are available, you can benefit from 8 to 10 000 m² of public space (besides the area of the landing plateform, the low platform or the pier area). Spaces are protected from the sun heat thanks to the floor-roof or sun visors.