Type : Hospitality
Location : Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, French
Site : 2214.63 sqm
Status : 5 Best Finalist International Sustainable Smart Marina, Monaco 2023

Youth is a productive age that is envisioned to be the vanguard of future development and civilization. When talking about a community, there needs to be a shared spirit in nurturing and preserving an existing endeavor. In this case, Saint Jean Ship-Yard is one of the yacht community centers where this facility provides convenience for yacht enthusiasts throughout France and Europe, especially in the city of Nice. The existing facilities must support the development of this community over time. Therefore, this design proposal carries the theme of ‘youth’ as the forefront in carrying the sailing culture to the sea in Nice. Young people must be active in both competing and practicing to preserve their land’s culture of sailing.

Utilizing existing buildings, rejuvenating, and adding new functions are the main strategies used for this competition. One of the strongest considerations is reducing the carbon emissions footprint due to coastal development, and also wisely assigning a ‘new role’ to the existing old buildings within the Saint Jean Ship-Yard site. The parking area is organized for visitor entry and exit, even though it is not part of the design area because the landscape is crucial in supporting the success of the design outcome.

Then, providing separate access for visitors and services is an advanced design strategy. For the circulation of people with direct interests, access leads to the central plaza, and service needs can directly reach the entrance gate. For the young yacht enthusiasts’ community, they can also access the central plaza and workshop area through this gate. Meanwhile, for the general public, the main circulation is towards the lobby on the upper level, allowing visitors to immediately enjoy the view and all available facilities while public access unrelated to the Saint Jean Ship-Yard area remains open, from the main entrance to the open beach.