Guy-Thomas Levy-Soussan, administrateur délégué de la S.A.M. L’Anse du Portier

A colossal, collaborative project

This exemplary construction site has mobilised 300 European firms and over 3,500 professionals of around 40 different nationalities. Bouygues Travaux Publics supervised work underwater to achieve, in particular, the feat of laying a belt of 18 caissons built to order by a specialist factory in Marseille. The wide range of skills also included those of marine biology specialists at the University of Nice who monitored impacts on underwater life. The “Young Builders” programme was also involved, allowing for the inclusion of professional rehabilitation projects on the site.

Monaco is getting bigger!

For everyone's greater enjoyment, Mareterra will offer new leisure and walkway areas, with 40% of the extension dedicated to public and green spaces. These will include a park, a superb seafront promenade in the Larvotto extension, named after the Hereditary Prince Jacques, and the “Petit Portier” yacht harbour, lined with shops and restaurants. The Grimaldi Forum will also be extended by almost 10,000 sq.m. 110 exceptional apartments, 14 villas, and townhouses, notably designed by famous architects Renzo Piano and Valode & Pistre, will attract international families to make their homes in this peaceful, privileged environment, whose layout was designed by landscaper Michel Desvigne.

Focus on the environment

Mareterra embraces the principles of sustainable development and aims to obtain several labels, among them the HQE Aménagements (High Environmental Quality). It will be Monaco's most environmentally friendly neighbourhood, featuring a 2.47-acre pine wood with more than 1,000 tall local trees: Aleppo and parasol pines, cork oaks, green oaks, and carob trees. Georges Restellini, Project Manager for Green Areas, has previously played a vital role in the creation of the Principality's most renowned gardens: the Princess Grace Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, Fontvieille Park, and now embarks on Mareterra, undoubtedly his most ambitious project to date.

From the outset, this new eco-neighbourhood, with the support of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, required strict environmental constraints to be taken into account in order to preserve the habitat. Before work began, endangered species were carefully moved to protected areas. During construction, substantial measures were taken to limit sedimentation and turbidity, and eco-design techniques were also introduced to preserve ecological balance. Mareterra presented its creators with an opportunity for innovation in offshore construction, using the most modern techniques for integration into the marine environment. Faced with climate change and rising sea levels, these technologies will be crucial for the future of large coastal towns. This new pedestrian eco-neighbourhood, opening out to the sea, also offers a tremendous asset in the Principality's economic appeal.