8.2.2. Targets

8.2.2. Targets

It was possible to achieve many things with such a surface in the heart of the city. The final plan was, as we have seen, focused on a vision of complete urban diversity. Not separating offices, residences, university spaces, cultural and commercial spaces, but establishing them judiciously. Connected by the Loire, Nantes and Saint-Nazaire aimed to be, together, a new big metropolis. In Saint-Nazaire there are the largest shipyards in France, this close relationship between those two large cities is vein which must had to be exploited. 8.2.2.1. Workers

"The Ile de Nantes is an urban laboratory which prefigures the city of tomorrow, at once efficient, sustainable, attractive and innovative... an animated area for the people of Nantes, featuring richly diverse neighbourhoods." (Johanna Rolland, 2017) Several offices projects went out from the earth through years. At the difference of Ørestad, Nantes had a different vision of the working activities that want establish their offices on the Island of Nantes. Indeed, they wanted to mix the functions to contribute at a social cohesion. Creating 350 000 square meters of activities they wanted to attract 15 000 new employees. Many buildings were mixed between offices and housing, only a few of them are just dedicated to offices. The companies MAN (Trucks and Bus Company), INSEE (National Institute of statistics and economical study) or ALSTOM installed their offices in the island, the proximity to the train station and the airport is perfect for this kind of company. Not on this island but near to it connected by a bridge the future Euronantes is in development and have for purpose to “promote the hosting of a European-scale business centre, in a diverse neighbourhood of urban quality and landscaping, in the immediate vicinity of the TGV station.” (SAMOA, 2008)

Figure 15: We can see here, the Euronantes district connected by different bridges on both sides of the Island. Source: Nantes development Euronantes is a project which is completely in part of the Island project even if he is not only built on it. They have thought the project in correlation with the creation of this European business district reckoning it to be on the island. So that, they created the district on both sides of the rivers. In total it’s 70 000 square meters th at will be constructing.

It is important to understand that Nantes tried to create an economy which would be complete in all terms. The project was aiming a European vision. At Saint Nazaire, there is the industrial economy, next to it, at La Baule there is a touristic economy and in the city centre of Nantes the public and services economy. The island of Nantes would bring this three economy together in its centre.

Figure 16: On this pictures representing Euronantes we can see similarities with Ørestad, large spaces, abundant vegetation, the absence of visible carpark, etc. Source: (Architectes, s.d.)

8.2.2.2. Families

As we have understood, the project wanted to be comfortable for every kind of populations. Thus, social housing, students housing, families housing have been projected to be built. They also created many spaces for crossings and meetings as it has been done in Ørestad, around the 8 house project. Around 47% housings are planned on the island. The urban life dimension has been intensively thought so that the island would not lose its lifestyle and would go in a way a much modern way of the build which would consist only on thinking the practicality of the quotidian but would also think about and mostly on the daily well-being. As Ørestad, they planned to create an ecologically friendly neighbourhood. Most of the buildings are in advance opposite to the actuals environmental regulations. In the same way, many architectural companies and workshop wanted to build buildings on the island because of the experimentation possibility that they would have on their projects. Obviously, it seems like Nantes wanted to shine in the French and European landscape to attract companies and citizens.

8.2.2.3. Accommodations

There is on the island only two hotels. They made this choice for many reasons. You are that even close from the city centre that they thought there was no need to get more hotels in it. One of the two, has been built in the ancient place where was the "Tripod" which has been demolished to create the Euronantes district. Closer to the European district they would serve more as an alternative solution for the companies. The hotels that can be qualified of luxurious are all on the other side facing the island, where we can find buildings that are for the same clientele. 8.2.2.4. Knowledge, culture and entertainment

Nantes has always been a land of novelty and culture. Towards the end of the 90s, when the shipyards closed, the island of Nantes, now abandoned, became the underground place for all Nantes youth. In the mid-90s a festival comes to settle on the lands of the island and the cultural and entertainment machine is launched.

Becoming, in the course of its rehabilitation, the place of excellence for the Nantais evening, the development of the city of tomorrow is done following this trend. In the early 2000s then create the famous and today internationally known "Island Machines" created by the Royal De Luxe Company. The Nantais are invited through exhibition, wacky and mechanical objects to plunge at the crossroads of the worlds of Jules Vernes (native of Nantes) and the world of Leonardo da Vinci. The cultural and avant-garde reputation of Nantes quickly becomes national and develops internationally.

Figure 18: The most famous attraction of the Royal De Luxe Company, the mechanical elephant. Source:

Figure 17: The most famous attraction of the Royal De Luxe Company, the mechanical elephant. (Thinktank, 2012)