Creating new ecosystems in harmony with the Loire River

The filled branches of the Loire are like a hydrographic unnatural disaster, seemingly pushing apart the two sides of the city.”  Julien Gracq

The study area, like Nantes itself, inhabits the place where the Loire Estuary meets the Loire River. Covering a prime location at the heart of the Nantes Étoile Verte (Nantes “Green Star” landscape development project), the study area benefits from the unique Loire biodiversity so shaped by salinity and the tidal range. With the relocation of the hospital, the area around the Madeleine-Gloriette is redesigned in harmony with the Loire River. Our project restores the island-like atmosphere of the area, reviving the image of Nantes as a city of islands. In accordance with the “30 engagements pour la Loire” (30 pledges for the Loire) framework adopted in 2016 by the Nantes Métropole (Nantes Metropolis), roadways are transformed into greened, urban promenades featuring surfacing that is as permeable as possible. The riparian zone is highlighted and native species are preserved. A Garden-Square rounds out the promenade that runs from the train station to the Loire, flowing down toward the river. A layered garden highlights the landscape heritage of the river, emphasizing native floral species like Angelica heterocarpa and triangular bulrush. The banks of the Gloriette become a linear Loire landscape garden, a counterpoint to the hardscape, urban Quai de la Fosse quayside. These new, green promenades join a region-wide network of greenery and waterscapes, moving toward a metropolitan river park