Eclectic and long situated on the margins of major urban developments, the Bas-Chantenay district is undergoing a major transformation. The area now aims to bridge its industrial and manufacturing heritage with a rapidly expanding metropolitan core. The ambition is to create a space where “the ant and the grasshopper” can coexist — blending productivity with leisure in an urban environment that meets the challenges of tomorrow while preserving its distinct character.
Within this context, Nantes Métropole Aménagement is leading the development of a hub for Marine Renewable Energies and Nautical Activities on the site of the former electric slipway (cale électrique). Continuing the legacy of the site, this new hub reinterprets its historic energy-related function through a contemporary lens.
The first building to be established is an innovative business incubator — the focal point, or “dynamo,” of the future hub. Built on the site of the former boiler house of the old Electric Factory, the building takes the form of two halls positioned parallel to the Loire River, and oriented toward an access boulevard in a gable-facing layout.
The northern hall, facing the ochre-red mass of the old factory, echoes its tone through a solid, monolithic volume punctuated by windows — some visible, some concealed. The southern hall, in contrast, opens onto the river landscape with a largely transparent façade. Its grey metallic elements reflect the color palette of the Loire. The project creates a spatial transition from north to south — from the mineral world to the aquatic one, from mass to transparency.
Between the two halls, a vertical void connects the different levels, offering users a spatial journey into the depth of the building. This architectural promenade is visible from the ground-level boulevard and invites visitors to ascend through the structure. At the fifth floor, the journey culminates in indoor and outdoor spaces designed as scenic viewpoints over the Loire, envisioned as a “living rooftop.”
Client
Nantes Métropole Aménagement
Project Team
Architect : AIA Architectes
Engineering & cost consulting : AIA Ingénierie
Environmental expertise : AIA Environnement
Program
Office and workshop spaces
Surface Area
6,133 m² gross floor area
Cost
€9.7 million (excl. tax)
Timeline
Competition : 2018
Completion : 2021