Steven Holl Architects

Cité de l'océan et du surf . Biarritz

courtesy of Steven Holl architects . Solange Fabião . photos: Iwan Baan . more: archdaily


Cité de L'Océan et du Surf a project by steven holl architects and brazilian born artist and architect, solange fabião is now complete. set to open june 25, 2011, the museum intends to raise awareness of oceanic issues and scientific aspects of the surf and sea. the facility, located in biarritz, france, is the product of a 2005 international competition for which the collaborative project won first place.

This new museum project intends to raise awareness of oceanic issues and to explore educational and scientific aspects of the surf and sea and their role upon our leisure, science, and ecology. The project is comprised of a museum building, exhibition areas, and a plaza, within a larger master plan. The design concept is based on the phrases "under the sky / under the sea." The building shape is intended to create a central gathering plaza, open to sky and sea, with the horizon in the distance. This "Place de l'Océan", with its curved under-the-sky shape, forms the character of the main exhibition space, while the convex structural ceiling forms the under-the-sea shape. Thus, the concept generates a unique profile and form for the building, and through its insertion and efficient site utilization, the project integrates seamlessly into the surrounding landscape.