The Strength of Public-Private Partnerships

The Ile de Nantes project is an open project, capable of changing and accommodating new initiatives. It is not based on a program set in stone but rather on the idea that the city constitutes a wealth of opportunities to be seized at the right time. Welcoming new initiatives implies a to-and-fro between program and project, in search of a dynamic momentum. Each situation is a particular case that the stakeholders address in compliance with the project rules and guidelines.

As an example, the rehabilitation of the Banana Hangar, a port brownfield site owned by the Grand Port Maritime Nantes Saint-Nazaire, was a core site for both the urban project and the Estuary Event. Samoa, which initiated the development, worked upstream with the various stakeholders and suggested transforming this space into a recreational area including restaurants, bars, a nightclub and an exhibit space. At the same time, Samoa and the Atelier de l'Ile de Nantes worked to renovate the Quai des Antilles, the new esplanade along the Loire. The development was completed in time for the launch of the Estuary 2007 cultural event.