Docks Dombasles, Le Havre
Gentrification seems almost impossible here. This mixed-use project required the agency to do some careful insertion work. The site was already very built-up and dominated by the horizontal lines of the bay, as well as being marked by a working-class past, evident from the warehouses scattered along the industrial quayside. It’s an in between area. The starting point was a burnt-down warehouse. We renovated it and put in offices to perpetuate the idea of work even if the nature of the activity has changed. Then we used its honeycomb shape to design the housing units along the water. The project has a bit of a seaside resort feel about it. The agency Obras did the landscape design of the public areas, using the water and the port to full effect. We scaled the façades to the length of the planted alley - like a reflection. The project fits in well with its surroundings, but it is also highly contemporary. We wanted to make sure that the quintessence of the site was clearly visible in the project. So even the materials we use – the prefabricated concrete and the metal frames – are the products of local craftsmanship. Nevertheless, we have kept our feet firmly in the real world with all its economic constraints, public opinion, social and environmental requirements. The “raw” material is in harmony with this very specific site. The docks die hard.
