June 30, 2023
Dominating the skyline of the Bacalan district of Bordeaux is the Base sous-marine, a submarine base dating from WW2 and one of the most gargantuan structures you are ever likely to see. Over the years, it has had many lives, and in 2020, it opened its cavernous halls for visitors to witness one of the truly great visual art displays in the world. Bassins des lumières, the world’s largest digital art display, is nothing short of astonishing.
The redemption
An abomination of land use, the original structure was built to enhance the German WW2 war machine during the occupation of France. U-boats wrought death and destruction across the Atlantic from this base. The submarine base is an absolute behemoth with a 9m thick concrete roof to protect against aerial bombardment. Post-war, the building was transferred from the French Navy to commercial manufacturers, and then, it saw a decline around the turn of the century. What to do with a structure comprising 600,000 cubic metres of concrete - demolition or re-purpose? The latter was chosen and, out of the horrors of its inception, has risen true beauty in the form of art.
The scale
From across the water, the Base sous-marine is unmistakably gargantuan - its functionalist form rises to dominate the horizon. The space is truly mind-blowing from the inside – cavernous, eery, illuminating and utterly compelling. Along each of the four submarine docks, there are stunning audio and visual displays, with projections mirrored off the water. Bridges cross over the submarine pens, decks, and tiered seating, offering different perspectives on the artwork. There are few substitute configurations for this kind of experience – it is utterly inconceivable that this type of venue would be constructed today – its purpose was to wage war, not display art. While the war's end left it without a purpose, civilising and visionary forces helped create this truly unique spectacle.
Sustainability is a beautiful thing
Sustainability policy has a big problem to address. The sustainability prize is unimaginably good and essential, yet there are event professionals who still view it as a more expensive, less enjoyable outcome. These sentiments are worryingly widely held. Sustainability is about many things, including maintaining cultural identities so that we aren’t flying to generic urban landscapes. WW2 was a terrible chapter in Europe’s history, but history cannot be erased. The repurposing of the Base sous-marine gives a unique home to Bassins des lumières. It avoids the issues of demolition & disposal of more than half a million cubic metres of concrete and preserves a historic chapter in the city of Bordeaux. There would be no Bassins des lumières if new urban apartment blocks now occupied this site.
The docks get hip
The redevelopment and rebirth of the Bacalan district of Bordeaux creates a whole new alternative location to host meetings and incentive groups. The hip waterfront has newly developed bars and restaurants, the wine museum is just across the water and the riverside promenade and tramway connecting to the historic centre is on the doorstep. Bordeaux has many fantastic districts, the nearby vineyards and the stunning Atlantic seaboard. Still, in Bacalan, Bordeaux has a central district that is vibrant and growing and home to some of the finest cultural venues in the city.