Commitment 08Read more
City-Port Interface
The City-Port Interface: A Resource for Diverse Development Projects
Developing public spaces and recreational or cultural amenities in City Port interface zones to create an appealing new area.
How can port authorities construct waterfront buildings to create a new waterfront experience ?
The adoption of symbolic or characteristic architectural designs for new constructions is a growing trend, especially in regions where urban areas converge with port facilities. This innovative architectural approach seeks to invigorate the image of port cities and often includes collaboration with acclaimed architects. In the case of Bordeaux, the museum of wine, La Cité du Vin, used this concept and created a unique structure on the river Garonne. The identity and role of the structure are easily recognisable by its form.
This good practice also includes objective 6.1 (Developing all types of promenades and other open spaces in City Port interface zones, to promote a better understanding of port and logistic activities) of the AIVP’s 2030 Agenda.
La Cité du Vin is characterised by its striking curves and form and its surrounding environment, evoking a sense of continuous movement. Architects Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières of XTU, in collaboration with the UK firm Casson Mann Limited for the scenography, drew inspiration from symbols of identity, such as gnarled vine stocks, swirling wine in a glass, and the eddies of the Garonne River. Every aspect of the building's architecture embodies the soul and fluidity of wine, described as "seamless roundness, intangible, and sensual" by XTU Architects. This sense of roundness, reflected in the building's exterior, permeates its indoor spaces, materials, and scale.
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