In the heights of Nice, the neighborhood of the former Ray Stadium is transforming in order to accommodate some three hundred buildings and 6000 m2 of commercial surface area, between the Gorbella Boulevard and the future Ray Park. In this densely populated neighborhood, our project suggests offering the city a new green lung.
Inspired by the topography of the Niçois landscape, whose white stone echoes the stone foundations of the villas perched in the midst of dense vegetation, it recreates the form of a green hill, where vegetation is combined with stone and wood.
Courtesy of Maison Edouard François
It thus constitutes a bridge between the urban and the natural – on the one side, there are the constructions of Boulevard Gorbella, on the other, the vegetation of the park.
The park will enter seamlessly into the city block at the same level.
It will stretch over all of the buildings of our neighborhood, covering the facades and roofs. The facades will host climbing, flowering plants, chosen for their resistance and fragrances. The rooftops will be entirely planted, in the spirit of the Niçois landscape, where a green crest dominates constructions.
Courtesy of Maison Edouard François
On the Boulevard Gorbella side, our project presents a truly urban face. The new constructions will be on a similar scale to those of the neighbouring Niçois buildings, which they will bear some resemblance to. The city block will thus appear to have been constructed over time, for the smoothest of integrations and optimal continuity.
In some buildings, the residents will be able to appropriate sections of the balconies with light constructions, such as in unfinished wood, which will allow the buildings in the block to be broken down, lending them a more individualized interpretation of scale that is closer to their use.
Courtesy of Maison Edouard François
Other, smaller elements will introduce shifts in scale: slipped into the city block, they will be sold as bare “lofts” of double height, ready to furnish – a new housing proposal for new populations with new habits. They are like small elements demonstrating a “desire to reside” that brighten up the facades.
The memory of the Ray Stadium, a federating theme for the residents of Nice, will be conserved. Great sporting figures and the striking events of its history could be the subject of artists’ interventions – images, sculptures or installations…
Project Info:
Architects: Maison Edouard François
Location: Nice, France
Program: Requalification of the Former Ray Stadium Into Housing,
Landscaped Gardens, Shops, Sports Facilities and Parking
Client: Adim / Vinci Immo / Logirem Team Maisoon Edouard Francois (Architect),
ABC Architects (Associate Architect)
Area: 21,000 M²
Delivery: 2017
Lable: Leed Breem
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial