With the ambitious goal of recovering the forgotten concrete structure of the Brise-Vent, this competition aimed to design a one-of-a-kind Museum facing the port of Le Havre. Since the gigantic grey sail no longer serves its original purpose of shielding the harbour from wind gusts, the challenge was to envision an urban regeneration project that could allow the city to get back an extraordinary public space, currently abandoned to itself.
The contest required full attention to the social aspects of the proposal, encouraging designers to work on a hybrid program linked to an everyday use, open both to the local community and international tourists. The awarded projects successfully blended historical preservation with contemporary innovation.
The jury panel praised the creative use of sustainable materials, particularly timber, and the integration of green landscapes, which transformed the site into a flexible, multifunctional space.
TerraViva congratulates all the participants of Brise-Vent Havre for submitting ground-breaking architectural proposals. The repurposing of the concrete shell, originally constructed as a windbreaker for shipbuilding in Le Havre and now dormant, has been conceived not merely to address present-day requirements but to also anticipate future programmatic evolutions through an adaptable and open framework.
Our design reimagines this iconic structure as a flexible system capable of accommodating various uses, enabling it to transform into residential, educational, industrial, or other functional spaces as needed.
