Mareterra – 3 surprising facts about the huge extension project
Mareterra Monaco
With completion scheduled for 2025, the new “Mareterra” extension is an ambitious and mammoth project with plenty of surprises in store.
1. Six new hectares reclaimed from the sea
The Principality had no choice but to expand its territory in order to meet the growing demand for housing, Here, we are talking about an extension of six hectares, or 3% of Monaco’s surface area, directly reclaimed from the sea from L’Anse du Portier.
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Five new luxury buildings, 14 villas, a shopping area, a new port, a public car park with 165 spaces and a public park will be created, along with other infrastructures. This is not the first time that the Principality has extended over the sea: since the beginning of the 19th century, Monaco has expanded its territory by 20% with, in particular, the district of Fontvieille which is due for renovation soon.
SEE ALSO: Place Princesse Gabriella, Promenade Prince Jacques… the Mareterra project’s streets are named
2. An eco-responsible extension
Reclaim land from the sea, sure, provided however that it does not threaten the environment and in particular the seabed, a cause that is particularly dear to Prince Albert II. This is why the project’s architects opted for a curved shape, to facilitate the flow of the sea current: “this current is very important, because it is what oxygenates the water. So there was an ecological aspect to this project ever since the beginning , ”explains Denis Valode, from the architecture firm Valode & Pistre, on the official website.
The 510 m2 of Posidonia Oceanica, a protected sea grass, will be saved and artificial reefs will be created to promote colonisation of the new coastline. On land, the project’s instigators have planned the planting of 800 trees, the creation of birds’ nests and insect hotels, as well as 600 metres of cycle path and 19,000 m2 of pedestrian area.
Housing and gardens will also be provided with environmental features, such as the installation of 9,000 m2 of solar panels, 200 charging systems for electric vehicles and even watering systems that are tuned to ambient humidity and rainfall.
SEE ALSO: Timelapse video: Monaco’s €2 billion land extension project
3. More than 800 people on site
To carry out a such a large-scale project, it was necessary to call in the troops! 800 people are now working on the neighbourhood, designed by architects Denis Valode (Valode & Pistre) and Renzo Piano (Renzo Piano Building Workshop), with landscaper Michel Desvigne.
Internationally renowned designers, architects, engineers and environmental experts are working together to complete this new area which Prince Albert II said he wanted “to embody the excellence and conviviality which distinguish the Principality of Monaco so well. Mareterra will integrate perfectly with our shoreline, and in a few years will be seen as a natural extension of our territory.”
SEE ALSO: PHOTOS. 5 projects that will shape the Monaco of tomorrow
