G8 WET DOCKS - Martin Duplantier Architectes

Photo credit: Schnepp Renou (c)

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The wet docks are an aspect of identity for the harbor city of Bordeaux, real in-between space towards the estuary and the ocean. This regenerated district has seen immense variations over the last ten years, the wet docks have developed into a significant piece of public space within the metropolis.

The G8 plot is set between the last piece of boulevard and the docks and gets advantage of an extraordinary location at the heart of the district.

It focuses on its surrounding environment through its four facades. Largely open along its ground floor, it advances into a two leveled envelope that recalls the rationally industrial past of the site, all the while conferring an abstract, timeless aesthetic.

It is a definite expression within a generic volume, which is again repeated on the surrounding hangars. Two large patios at the second storey form the plateaus and create sociable spaces that favor interaction between visitors. The views that the G8 offers are unobstructed and generous and the openings in the façade are adapted to its multiple interior uses.