Mémorial de l’abolition de l’esclavage
Special Mention at 2012 European Prize for Urban Public Space
A wharf on the Loire River where slave ships once docked has been renovated with a new riverside walk that replaces a car park, while a memorial space commemorates the slave trade.
Authors:
Krzysztof Wodiczko & Julian Bonder. Wodiczko+Bonder, Architecture, Art & Design
Developer:
Nantes Metropole, Ville de Nantes
This work recovers a space of old infrastructure linked with a harsh history, that of the French slave trade. It is now public space at two levels. The lower part, the compressed form of which recalls the cramped conditions in the ships’ holds has been transformed into a memorial space, while the upper level is a riverside walk where once there was a car park.
Project begining: 2003
Start of work: 2010
Total cost: 7,500,000 €
Surface: 8,500 m2
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