Project Description

MONTPELLIER – ANTIGONE AND PORT MARIANNE

  • montpellier antigone
  • montpellier antigone
  • montpellier antigone
  • montpellier antigone
  • montpellier antigone
  • montpellier antigone

Languages available: EN ES FR

Customizable tour: Yes

Recommended group size per guide: 25

Duration: 4 hours

DESCRIPTION – Montpellier: Antigone and Port Marianne

This architecture tour will take us through Antigone and Port Marianne in Montpellier, where we will discover different striking buildings and constructions.

The Antigone project extend dates back to 1979, when the newly-elected municipal council of Montpellier chosen to embrace tremendous urban improvement on a few twenty hectares of land close to the city centre.

The purpose of this town-planning operation was to develop a new district which would provide for the city’s balanced eastward expansion and link the historical centre to the river Lez. Ricardo Bofill’s Taller de Arquitectura drew up the master plan that has breathed stylistic unity into a district of streets and squares, green zones, housing facilities, shops, schools and sports, cultural and administrative facilities.

We’ll see, among other things: Esplanade de l’Europe, and its monumental buildings of Greco-Roman inspiration, l’Hôtel de Région, where the Regional Council sits, symbol of the renewal of Montpellier, L’Arbre Blanc (Sou Fujimoto, Nicolas Laisné and Manal Rachdi), Place de Thessalie, Place du MillénaireCentre Commercial Le Polygone: the building is inspired by the gardens of Babylon.

A few miles from the sea, the area of Port Marianne has become the architectural ambassador of the capital of Hérault. On both sides of avenue Raymond-Dugrand (one of the builders of the city) magnificent buildings have sprung up. Most designed by great names in architecture.

We’ll see, among other things: Hôtel de Ville de Montpellier (François Fontès and Jean Nouvel), Estudines Montpellier Port Marianne, Residence Koh-I-Noor (Bernard Bühler Architecte), RBC MONTPELLIER (Jean Nouvel), Le Nuage Montpellier (Philippe Starck), School Georges Frêche (Massimiliano Fuksas).

Discover this guided tour with a guide architect where you’ll see some of the most outstanding buildings at the areas of Antigone and Port Marianne in Montpellier, France.