The Grand Large district has been designed to take into consideration a special urban context: inserted between the city and the sea, between seaside resort aesthetic and port aesthetic, and between typological variation and collective spaces. It extends the overall strategy of the Neptune project, launched in 1991, which aims to orient the city towards the docks. This transformation of the urban centre has already been broadly achieved. The Grand Large district marks the start of the second phase of “Operation Neptune”, which focuses on sustainable development.
The 216 homes in the first phase bear witness to the ecological dimension that has been adopted for a district that will eventually consist of 800 to 1000 homes. The district’s strategic urban plan is based on the principles inspired by Agenda 21, notably in terms of its social (diverse social mix), environmental (rainwater management, renewable energies) and economic aspects (flexible product use and operational phasing).
The Grand Large district brings together different building types and includes public spaces on diverse scales: a semicircular park with individual houses; the quay with gabled buildings; the apartment buildings with green terracing; the crescent gardens at the heart of the individual lots
This diversity of building types and the social mix which this encourages generates a lively neighbourhood which creates original perspectives: the view of the Grand Large Hotel from rue Degans, the green aperture looking towards the planted ramparts, and the views of the gabled buildings from the quayside.
The district is designed around environmentally sustainable principles, and includes wind breaks and rainwater management systems. Priority is given to pedestrians, with motor traffic limited to building access roads. Only the Avenue des Bordes is treated as an urban boulevard whereas lateral lanes are reserved for local residents.
PARTNERS / ENGINEERING Structural engineering: Batiserf Ingénierie Fluid engineering: Espace Temps Economist: Bureau Michel Forgue Perspective art: Artefactory
