The South Star _ Nice France

 
 

First there is light and its shimmering reflections, then Klein Blue enters into dialogue with the blues of the sea and the colorful facades of the harbor.

The South Star blends into the wider landscape where it sometimes fades away only to reappear. First perceived as a distant light, it then rises toward the sky, inviting an immersion into the deep blue — the sea, the horizon, infinity.

Initiated by residents and users of the Port of Nice wishing to imagine a new use for the tip of the harbor and an emblematic place for their city, the project envisions architecture as a place of encounter between the city, the sea and the landscape.

 
 

 

Program Multipurpose venue (performances, exhibitions, conferences), restaurants, cafés, yacht club, retail spaces and public areas
Floor area 14,000 m² + 16,000 m² of public spaces
Location Infernet Platform, Nice, France
Date 2009
Client Project initiated at the request of Le Phare Association (residents and users of the Port of Nice)
Team Eric Cassar, Lucie Rieutord, Sana Oualha, Khanh Pham, Haï Le

General principles

The South Star is conceived as a new urban piece opening toward the sea: simultaneously a place, a link and a landmark. More than a building, the project seeks to create an inhabited landscape where architecture, public space, light and movement extend the encounter between the city, the harbor and the Mediterranean Sea.

 

A place between city, sea and sky

Located at the intersection of the harbor district, the Bay of Angels and Old Nice, the site forms a major urban articulation within the city. The project becomes an interface connecting different emblematic neighborhoods while creating a new destination open to the landscape.

Visible from the sea, the sky, the harbor, the Promenade des Anglais and the surrounding hills, the architecture has neither front nor back. It transforms according to points of view and reveals itself from every direction.

 

An architecture in motion

The South Star symbolically begins in the sea and rises toward the sky. Incorporating the pier, it acts as a relief or landscape extending beyond the limits of the original site.

The project develops through a series of platforms and suspended wings that gradually emerge from the sea before reaching toward the sky.

Like the sea itself, the architecture continuously reinvents itself: light, shadows, reflections, distance and the movement of visitors constantly transform its perception.

 

A public square above the sea

The roof of the building becomes a vast public square sloping toward the harbor and the sea. Accessible to all, it acts as a belvedere offering new perspectives toward the city, the horizon and the Mediterranean landscape.

This space simultaneously becomes a promenade, an exhibition space, an open stage and a meeting place. Its gentle slope allows thousands of people to coexist while preserving uninterrupted views toward the sea.

Klein Blue concrete, colored throughout its mass, enters into dialogue with the colors of the harbor and pays tribute to Yves Klein, who was born in Nice.

 

Wings between sky and sea

Beginning from the lighthouse, landscape reliefs appear to emerge from the sea before gradually rising, transforming into wings and reaching toward the sky. Three suspended wings then extend the public square above the water and accommodate different activities.

On the harbor side, a Harbor Café opens widely onto everyday life, engaging with the neighborhood, the boats and the people living around the port. Conceived as an accessible and lively place, it becomes a natural extension of the harbor’s public spaces.

On the Bay of Angels side, a panoramic restaurant suspended above the sea offers a more contemplative experience overlooking the city and the Promenade des Anglais. Shops and boutiques connected in particular with the yacht club complete this diversity of uses.

Like the deck of a ship, these spaces invite visitors to experience reflections, the movement of water, sea spray and different ways of inhabiting the landscape.

 

A sensitive and sustainable architecture

The South Star combines quality of use with an environmental approach: natural ventilation, solar protection systems, high thermal inertia roofing and the integration of photovoltaic panels into the large public square.

Energy becomes visible here: photovoltaic panels participate in light effects and extend the identity of the project, creating a dialogue between natural phenomena, public space and architecture.