architectural and urban Tour
Île de Nantes, history and project Created and animated by l’ardepa - November 2017
From the estuary to the island... The cities of Nantes and Saint-Nazaire are an impor tant economic hub in western France, thanks to the infrastructures of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire harbour. But also by the impor tant weight of the industrial sector (aircraft construction and shipbuilding). SaintNazaire is located on the right bank of the Loire river, 50 km west from Nantes.
This link is also strengthens with the Ar t Contemporary Biennal called « Estuaire » and with the summer event « Le Voyage à Nantes ». Since 2007, from Nantes to Saint-Nazaire, ar tists invest places, in cultural area and open air. These ar tworks are permanent or ephemeral, and take place along the Loire estuary, between natural resources and gigantic industrial buildings. Beyond the confrontation between the public and contemporary ar t, the main goal of Estuaire is to contribute to the land-use planning. This territory has indeed ex traordinary history, economy and landscapes.
Location of the visited places The île de Nantes territory is located on the Loire river, in Nantes. The island is one of the 11 district of the city. It measures 4,9 km from East to West and has a maximum width of 1 km.
Quar tier de la création = « creative district »
Les Nefs = « the naves » La Fabrique = « the factory »
School of Architecture School of Fine Ar ts Manny
Cour thouse
Nantes, the « Western Venice » Back at the beginning, the Île de Nantes wasn’t exactly an island but an archipelago of sandy and swanpy islands, separated by numerous small river arms. Star ting in the 10th century, bridges and gateways are built between the nor thern and southern banks. At the time, this is the only crossing point to travel between Britain and Poitou. This axis grows over time, and becomes a true bridges line of nearly 2 km long.
19th century is the scene of an explosive industrial grow th on the island : sugar ref iners, spinning, breweries, tanneries, foundries... settle along the bridges line. Nantes was once famous for playing a big par t in the triangular trade, and always had a privileged relationship with the sea : from a geographical point of view but also thanks to the river trade, f ishing and shipbuilding. This last activity reached its climax in the 50s : the shipyards regrouped 8000 workers on the western par t of the island.
Simultaneously, between the two world wars, the rivers arms were f illed to ease car traff ic and railway circulation, which were growing. It is then possible to reach the island by walking from the city-center, even though some bridges are maintained.
View on the shipyards in 1953
Former transpor ter bridge, 1953
The last shipyards closed their doors in 1987, after beeing severely impacted by the successive oil crises in the 70s. This event is a real trauma for the city, its inhabitants and workers. It marks the end of an era. The west par t of the island stays a brownf ield site for over 10 years. When the city council decides to star t the ÂŤ projet ĂŽle de Nantes Âť, it is agreed to preserve and restore the main building of the former shipyards, as an industrial heritage, memory of the workers and working-class movement. It is the f irst founding act of the island project.
The project « Île de Nantes » From 1991 on, studies are in progress to think of the future of the island, linked with the city. In 2000, the « plan guide » (« guided plan ») designed by the team Chemetoff/ Ber thomieu is chosen. They are architects and landscape architects. This project is one of the biggest urban renewal project in Europe. Public space becomes here a leverage for urban transformation. The main goal is to build the contemporary city on all the island, while respecting its landscape, harbour and industrial tradition. The goal of all these changes is of course to contribute to the economic grow th of the city. It has to become more attractive to f irms, inhabitants and tourists. It is what’s called urban marketing. In the case of Île de Nantes, the culture is massively used in the public policy. In the western par t of the island, the industrial wasteland is transformed into « cultural land », welcoming schools of applieds ar ts, innovative star t-ups, cultural and leisure activities and so on.
2003, urban planners realise the inventory of the island. They identify buildings, public spaces, roads, etc.
2003, plan guide of the Île de Nantes, tool designed by Chemetoff/Berthomieu.
The plan guide was developped according to several planning principles, which serve also as guidelines for the planning of the island : Make with the existing surroundings : respecting the historical legacy of Nantes island is a top priority of the urban planning. The existing vestiges have to be emphasize and not destroyed. Renew the link with the river : the project highlights the asset of having a naval front, by enhancing the Loire and its environment (docks, riversides, natural areas...). Give priority to the mix of urban functions : no activity is isolated. In the end, the island will regroup every sor t of infrastructure : business hub, convenience stores, public transpor tations, social, cultural and leisure facilities, nursery, hospital, schools, research structures, housing (student housing, collective dwelling, social and individual housing),... More than 6500 housing should be built at the end, for over 15000 inhabitants. The goal is to avoid the phenomenon of urban sprawl by densifying space. Start with public space planning : the f irst star ted works are public spaces. The goal is to have liveable and pleasant neighbourhoods for the new buildings to come, to emphasize the attractivity of the territory.
Heritage preservation
Planning of the docks along the river
The « Quartier de la création » This creative district is an area located on the west par t of the island. It has been reconver ted since the 2000s. Its development aims to create a creative bloom. We can f ind science and technical activities from f ive domains : communication, design, performing ar ts, architecture, visual ar ts. All these cultural activities are geographically regroup in what is called a cultural cluster. The idea is to encourage the crossing of disciplines. Among other things, we can find several higher education institutions (school of fine ar ts, architecture,...) companies and star t-ups related to culture, digital technologies, etc. At the end, the goal is to create a center of excellence for ar ts and culture. The creative industries have to become a new major force for the entire city. The district is located in the western par t of the island, with former Alstom warehouse as the hotspot. Gained by the city of Nantes in 2002, the buildings were handed down to the SAMOA (public society in charge of the Île de Nantes planning) in 2004, in order to transform them.
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ALSTOM is a company specialised in transpor tation industries, mainly railway lines and energy production (power plants and renewable energies). The former industrial buildings, which was private and closed, is transformed in a genuine neighbourhood. Some streets are ex tended to form new blocks, f ind an urban sequence and offer visual breakthroughs. These developments create big public spaces, vegetated cour tyards and paths, benef iting to soft modes of transpor t, setting a new neighbourdhood pleasant to live.
District in 2008
District in 2019 (projection)
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Former Alstom halls reconversion Delivery : mid-2019 Architect : Franklin Azzi Architecture, LIN architectes, Fouquet architecture et urbanisme, agence Avignon-Clouet, GARDERA-D, DLW, Fichtre. Program : École supérieure des beaux-ar ts de Nantes Métropole in the main warehouse. University pole, digital canteen, off ices, cafeteria, corporate center are splited in the other buildings. Client : SAMOA, ESBANM, Nantes Métropole, Nantes university, Ardissa. Located in the hear t of the creative district, behind the cour thouse, the former warehouses are being restored after 10 years of transitionnal activities, during which they hosted several events and economic players. Today, only the main warehouse restoration is over. It’s the one which is now the school of f ine ar ts. The main idea was to build a consistant and independant group of buildings, meshed by public spaces and taking place in the former industrial warehouses. Their preservation is in the hear t of the proposal, and allows a better f lexibility for the elements of the program and long-term planning. In every volume takes place an element of the program.
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L’école supérieure des beaux-arts de Nantes métropole, by Franklin Azzi, 2017. The architect Franklin Azzi is not in charge of the construction of the other warehouses, but he didn’t only designed the school of f ine ar ts, he also deals with the urban scale of the project, and its integration on the island.
The school building is presented as an umbrella : only the steel structure of the building was preserved, to bring as much light as possible in the inner space. Under the polycarbonat envelope f its the « mini-city », following a russian-doll model, organized around a central inner street.
Rain envelope Thermical envelope
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The preservation of the old structure is a tribute to the industrial heritage of Nantes, and allows to design f lexible spaces underneath, as well as par ticipating to the lowcost of construction.
former Alstom warehouse
New school : inner street perspective
North/south section of the new building
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Rehabilitation site
Manny Delivery : 2009 Architect : Agence Tetrarc Program : Off ices + shop on the groundf loor Client : Groupe Coupechoux - DEVINA Manny is a landmark on Nantes island, thanks to its par ticular facade and how it’s connected with its close environment.
The building is at the entrance of the future « ar t campus ». Its facade is a reinterpretation to several references, more or less ancient : its hairnet is drawn from a wrought iron design of a 18th century hotel. This « dancing veil » is also a reference to nantes surrealist ar tists (movement, imbalance, disruption,...). With this aluminium hairnet, Manny is also related to the shipyards, that used to exploit this metal for the ship construction.
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In front of a large glass window, the hairnet f ilters the views, and avoids passers-by to see the mess of the off ices. But there are actually two other essential functions : First, it provides a constant light to the interior spaces, without direct brightning, thanks to the diffraction phenomenon on the perforated aluminium stripes.
Interior view
It also creates ref lection and light effects from the outside. Thereby, the building has a slightly different aspect depending on weather and time.
Extorior views
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Since its off icial opening, the building is welcoming two ar tworks from the Estuaire contemporary ar t biennale : « Air » from Rolf Julius This is a sonic work, that can be perceived while we pass by the building. How to create « music for the eyes » ? This german ar tist tries to answer this question. Thanks to the birds song and pinging sound that we hear nex t to the building, the sound becomes as impor tant as the image. According to the ar tist, it allows to rebalance the sensitive perceptions.
« The Zebra crossing regulations and general directions » from Angela Bulloch From her debuts, this canadian ar tist plays with existing system, by changing them and consequently changing the places features. For Manny, she designed an ar twork that connects the inside and the outside (private and public). She was inspired by british pedestrian crossing to redesign the public space in front of the building. The work disturbes perceptions, because it ex tends the crossing inside of the building.
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The school of architecture Delivery : 2009 Architects : Lacaton-Vassal (Paris) Program : School of architecture Net f loor area: 26 000 sqm (terrasses + cover spaces) Client : Ministry of Culture and Communication A SEMI-PRIVATE BUILDING L’ensa nantes was designed as a porous building : « opened » from the outside to the inside. The public is invited to go inside to see student’s work, exhibitions but also to be curious and read some books in the library or to attend a conference organised in the auditorium. The intern and ex tern traff ic blocks authorize a multiplicity of exchanges between the users. They can enter inside the school by several entrances, especially by the ramp, imagined as « a pedestrian street », the continuity of public space. The asphalt doesn’t show the difference between the street and the inside of the school. Fur thermore, the school is entirely glazed with large windows or sliding polycarbonat pannels. In turn she is looking toward the ex terior.
View of the building from the north bank of the river
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ECONOMICAL MATERIALS
concrete for the post/beam structure
polycarbonat for the facade
ROOFTOP
This 2 500 sqm high public place is 26 meters high above the street. It is open to public during the open hours of the school. It offers an amazing view on the Island of Nantes and the urban and historical areas of Nantes. The f irst school of architecture of Nantes was built in the 1970s. It was designed for 450 students whereas nowadays the school welcomes more than 900 students.
old school - massenet street
actual school from franรงois 2 place
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The courthouse Delivery: 2000 Architect : Jean Nouvel Program : Cour thouse of Nantes Client : State The establishment of the Cour thouse on the Island of Nantes, in front of the historical center linked by the Schoelcher footbridge is dated from 2001. This is one of the star ting point of the guide plan. It f its into the requalif ication of François Mitterand docks and the river side of the Loire.
From the footbridge Victor Schœlcher
The building is built with 1 500 ton of steel. This strong presence of metal can be explained in reference to the industrial past of the island. This building is looking to the city with its large glass windows. Inside, the interior is bright due to the ref lect on the tiles, even though they are black. There are two entrances : one is the main facade on the Loire side for the public and the magistrates and the other side (looking to the park) is for the police and the defendants. In that way it exists two ways that never meet each other.
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Public lobby : transparency effects, shadows, lights and geometry
With this new Cour thouse on the Island of Nantes, the architect reinterpreted the symbols of justice in a contemporary way. The traditional staircase who is going into the building is replacing by a long and soft ramp who welcome visitors from the Victor Schoelcher footbrige. The columns of the entrance por tico symbolize reason and foresight. They are simplif ied by a metal square section. The square, symbol of equality and justice is largely used : in plan, pattern, pavement and tilling. The impressive volumetry mixed with the darkness and the light effects suggest the force of the justice. If this one is powerful, it must also be transparent and accessible.
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Les Nefs Delivery : june 2007 Architects : Atelier Alexandre Chemetoff + P. Bouchain, N. Condorcet, C. Theilmann for Les ateliers des machines Program : workshops + gallery Les Machines, public space Client : Nantes métropole Les Nefs (« the naves ») are big industrial warehouses, where there was a largescale boilermaking during the 20th century. They were restored as a shelter, a cold greenhouse. It represents a covered space of more than 10 000 sqm, continuing the outside public space inside. They are deisgned to welcome several programs, on the long-term or ephemerally, in independant volumes below the covered structure. That’s why we can f ind the construction workshop and gallery of the company Les Machines, on both sides of the central street. Their big elephant is also roaming in this street as well as outside. On the southern-east par t of the structure, we can f ind La Fabrique.
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La Fabrique Delivery : 2011 Architects : Agence Tetrarc + agence RAUM fot the Jardin C Program : 3 performance hall, 16 rehearsal studios, digital experimentation spaces, green areas, off ices, bar/restaurant Client : City of Nantes (samoa) This cultural complex is dedicated to performing ar ts and emerging music. It was conceived with cultural players from Nantes, to respond at best to their needs in term of creation and production. Four associations still have their off ices in the buildings : Stereolux, Trempolino, Mire et Apo 33.
The project is ar ticulated on three plots : - Stéréolux, a big construction made of steel and polycarbonat, contiguous to Les Nefs. It reminds the shipyards spirit by its post-industrial aspect. - Trempolino, a building built on a former blockhouse, located at an intersection. The concrete bunker was restored and the ex tension on top of it has six levels. - the jardin C (« C garden »), hybrid place and experimental f ield for an association. There was supposed to be a third building on this plot, but it has never been built. The program then progressed into an experimental and construction place based on nature. 23
Conclusion Nantes was called  sleeping beauty  in the 90s, after the closing of the shipyards. It had to find new economic sectors to become an attractive and dynamic city once again. The culture is now a true development driver for local economy, on the west end of the island in par ticular. By creating the creative ditrict and the site of the Chantiers, the city was able to transform constraints (former wasteland) into real resources for the creative industry. The goal is to unite all the cultural sector (ar tists, designers, students, researchers, entrepreneurs) to create burgeoning projects and new jobs. Nantes island wants to become a continuity of the city center as well as the new center of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire. It creates several activities, high quality housing and answer to the challenges of sustainable development. Culture played an impor tant par t in Nantes’s attractiveness. Its economical dynamic is now based on creation and innovation.
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Notes / sketches
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Notes / Sketches
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Ardepa in a few words... Since 1979, ARDEPA, the regional association for the dissemination and promotion of architecture, has been developing its action with professionals, teachers, students, insitutions, associations and the general public. It seeks to arouse interest and curiosity about architecture and urban transformations. To reach this goal, ARDEPA uses different means such as exhibitions, visits, pedagogical workshops, open-house days, lectures...
Regional association for the dissemination and promotion of architecture
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