The tourist residence and accommodation in Marseille, France

PietriArchitectes agency presents Porte Bleue, a tourist residence and accommodation in Marseille, France. The 414 white concrete vaults that make up the facade of the tower give an arborescent design and open the view to the Mediterranean in subtle architectural poetry.

La Porte Bleue, Marseille, PietriArchitectes
Photo credit: Luc Boegly

La Porte Bleue is part of a real-estate program of 4 distinct buildings (offices, housing, and shops) at the heart of the overall development operation of ZAC Euroméditerranée. The project represents a true place of connection between the port, the roads, and the city, and it embodies one of the gateways to Marseille.

The Quays of Arenc: A new dynamic for the city

By offering a 4-star tourist residence, now belonging to Odalys as a new emblem of the tourist accommodation group, La Porte Bleue is part of the dynamism of a new district. The tower also offers housing for home buyers and features a retail outlet on the first floor. An independent restaurant, projecting from the main volume, will in turn energize this interiority with its 3 glass façades and planted roof.

he poetry of vaults: Balancing elegance and technique

The facades of the project are made up of a multitude of vaults leaning on one another. The vaults had to meet strict specifications with the choice of concrete with a lower environmental impact, shaped locally in the town of Aubagne, a town close to Marseille. This concrete adornment gives the tower a particular tree-like design that has become a landmark and true signature of the work. The rounded shapes of the vaults frame the landscape in a soft and singular way through a curve from each interior space.

La Porte Bleue, Marseille, PietriArchitectes
Photo credit: Lisa Ricciotti

Low-carbon concrete and marine geothermal energy

PietriArchitectes and Atelier Masse (a structure and facade design office) developed the iconic facade of this project. The 414 vaults are made up of various 90 cm thick Y-shaped modules, linked by keys to the cast beams and slabs, thus constituting a supporting element of the project. Also it is connected to the “Thassalia” installation, which allows the building to be heated and air-conditioned using marine geothermal energy, a state-of-the-art process in terms of clean energy.

La Porte Bleue, Marseille, PietriArchitectes
Photo credit: Luc Boegly

About PietriArchitectes

Jean-Baptiste Pietri, originally from Marseille and a graduate of Paris-Belleville School of Architecture, settled in Paris 30 years ago, where he founded his architecture studio in 2001. He surrounded himself with four partners, including the president of the office, Jérémy Louette, along with Marine de Chateauneuf, Zoé Reynaud, and Sarah Leroux. His team, which now has twenty collaborators, is based in the 11th district of Paris. PietriArchitectes builds all around France, thus confirming the plurality of its architectural vocabulary, which adapts to the building context, while deploying a style of its own. Its projects cover a wide diversity of programs, both public and private, ranging from single-family homes to office towers, and including a luxury hotel on the waterfront and a clear interest in interior design.