Redefinition of economic complementarities, reorganisation and new utilisations of the territories, a voluntaristic policy bearing over the whole maritime facade of Brest, everything had to be reinvented. The key words in this overall policy are naturally those of change and diversification of activities, but also those of "metropolitanisation" by perfecting tertiary functions and the carrying out of big structuring installations, of internationalisation by a strategy of development on an European and international scale, and finally of competitiveness and attractiveness of the territories.
The city – port relationship is thus placed at the centre of the discussions between the local stakeholders. It in fact occupies an essential place in this policy of revitalisation and in this new cohabitation and the synergies that have to be developed.
If this dialogue must always be continued and renewed, actions have been programmed and are in the course of being achieved. They will lead to the opening of the port towards the city, to the take-over by urban functions of the port zones that have become unsuitable for today's needs and to the use of some of them for tourist purposes.
4 sites have been retained in this overall development strategy for the whole of the sea-front (15 km long):
- The Moulin Blanc
- The Commercial port
- The Brest-Iroise Technological Centre
- The Penfeld Space
Maritime facade © Brest Métropole OcéaneThe Moulin Blanc
As early as the Seventies, its tourist purposes were laid down with the development of a yacht harbour and the creation of Oceanopolis (a leisure park dedicated to marine sciences). A first phase of works was undertaken between 1970 and 1980. This led to the structuring of the beach, to the creation of a yacht harbour with 1400 moorings and to that of Oceanopolis. Oceanopolis was further developed between 1990 and 2006 as well as the yacht harbour with the addition of 136 moorings. A reorganisation programme for the whole area was then drawn up. It led to the development of an activities zone for the service providers of yachting, to the re-composition of a nautical commercial centre, to the creation of a technical site for boats and to the re-distribution of the public spaces on the waterfront.
The Moulin Blanc, the yacht harbour, and Océanopolis © Brest Métropole OcéaneThe commercial port of Brest
The commercial port, of National Interest, has just been transferred by the State to the Regional Council of Brittany. It is currently managed by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Brest. Brest however remains a major Naval port for the French State. The Port of Brest (2.5 million tonnes in 2005) mainly handles petroleum products (982 275 tonnes) raw products for animal foodstuffs (729 653 tonnes) and general cargo. It is also today the top French centre for ship repairs. A multimodal platform, a bulk terminal for agribusiness and the reconfiguration of the n°1 dry dock are in the centre of the port's projects.
As early as 1985, a reflection on the future of the port and the development of the whole Brest port area led to the drawing up of the Reference Master plan for the Port of Brest, co-signed in 1994 by the main parties concerned (the French State, the Urban Community of Brest, City of Brest and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry). This plan re-asserts the economic role of the port. It bears on a reorganisation of port lands and the definition of specific utilisations of the various zones. It envisages the development of a tissue of SMI-SMEs primarily connected with mainly port activities. It puts forward also the improvement of the connections between city and port. These big orientations would be reinforced and defined in the Charter of the Port Community signed in 1988 by the aforementioned stakeholders and other public stakeholders (Region, Department, University and research establishments, SNCF, Directorate of Naval Construction - DCN). These two documents are still in force today. A study currently under way should draw up the main orientations for 2010-2015
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Partial View of the CommercialPort
© Benoît Stichelbaut | The South Road and SMI-SME Zone
© SEMAEB |
The Reference Master Plan has thus initiated the processes of the re-composition of the commercial port. Land development and opening to private investments were undertaken in the Nineties. The ZAC (Zone d'Aménagement Concerté – Concerted Development Zone) of the Commercial Port, created in 1996, asserts the desire to reinforce the present port activities. It envisages the grouping on a same site of the Port logistics activities and the development of a SMI-SME zone in a strategic sector that constitutes both a structuring road in the port and an important entrance to the city. The commercialisation of the SMI-SME zone was undertaken in 2000-2006 and new buildings, subjected to precise architectural specifications, have been installed there.
ZAC of the Commercial Port © Brest Métropole OcéaneUrban reinforcement is also at the centre of the restructuring. The district is already a promenade area used daily by the people of Brest but also during events organised in the port such as the "Port Thursdays" every Thursday in the summer, or the international gathering of sailing ships that will have its 5th edition in 2008. Inaugurated on 28 of February 2007, the "Carène", a modern performing arts centre, is providing two music halls of 350 and 1300 seats, a 500 seat open air theatre, 7 rehearsal rooms and an information centre. The shops, cafés, and restaurants already present will be reinforced. Few new accommodations are for the moment programmed, except for a residential operation already constructed on one of the quays bordering the future yachting activities of the Port du Chateau. An entrance to the city, a connection with the port, this district will be rendered even more attractive with the future Port du Chateau and the "Carène". A redefinition of accesses and car parks has been necessary. A silo car park is also notably under study.
The Brest-Iroise Technological Centre
A major centre for research and technological innovation on French and international levels, it concentrates 60% of the French oceanographic research and houses 70 private business firms as well as the Centre for Marine Competitiveness with a world wide role. 6200 people work there. It is centred on marine sciences and technologies, on information and communications sciences and technologies, and the sciences of living things (agri-business, health and biotechnology).
The Penfeld space
The symbolic site of the naval and military industrial activity of Brest, it constitutes a major site both by its geographical centrality and by its historic, human and social dimensions. Wide military areas have been transferred to local government since 2005. The Penfeld Mission was founded in 2002 and brings together all parties concerned under the co Chairmanship of the Chairman of the urban community "Brest Métropole Océane", and the Prefet (representing the French State). It has defined three distinct and complementary sectors that will be redeveloped: the Port du Chateau, the Capucins and Nord Penfeld (Le Salou).
The Port du Château
In the continuation of the commercial port, it will become in the short term, a deep water yacht harbour of 13 hectares in the centre of the city. Works started in 2006 and should continue until 2008. With 600 additional moorings, it will complement the Moulin Blanc yacht harbour and provide a response to the heavy demand. 3 hectares will also be devoted to happenings and the organisation of events (yacht racing, big sailing ships). The new outer seawall, designed as a pedestrian promenade, and the shops installed on the quay, will reinforce the attractiveness of this new site.
Under study | 2004-2005 |
Engineering Works | October 2006 – end 2007: protection and development of the water area
2007-2008: land development in the context of the extension of the commercial port operation. |
Cost | 24,7 M€ excluding taxes |
Direct economic spin-offs | 1,5 million Euros for 2000 night moorings a year not including events |
Port du Château - Model © Brest Métropole OcéaneThe Capucins
Situated on a promontory, the 12 hectare site in the city centre provides a natural belvedere offering views over the city, the roadstead, the river, and the naval activities still in existence (berthing of vessels, dry-docking). It will become in the medium term a new metropolitan district connected by a new tram line where there will be a mixture of shops and tertiary activities, cultural installations and housing accommodation.
The Capucins - Project of Bruno Fortier, November 2005 © Brest Métropole Océane 
The Capucins - Project of Bruno Fortier, May 2005 © Brest Métropole OcéaneThe 19th Century buildings of the Workshops of the Directorate of Naval Construction are a key element of the maritime industrial heritage of Brest. The buildings and certain of the equipment (notably machinery) will be preserved and the Workshops will house the following programmes :
Economic Programmes | Net surfaces (Workshops) |
Tertiary Activities and services (offices, shops, restaurants, hotels, etc) | 3000 m² |
Area for public and private events | 2000 m² |
Marine sciences and technology sectors (Centre international des sciences et technologies marine) | 7264 m² |
Image and sound sector (creation, production, diffusion, Business incubators) | 2200 m² |
The International Mansion and Residence
(A new building, outside the Workshop) | 2772 m² |
Public and cultural installations Programmes
(training, creation, diffusion, conservation) | |
"Image and sound" sector
- Brittany Film Library
- Image and sound creative space |
1600 m²
1000 m²
|
"Plastic Arts" sector"
- Higher Arts Studies School of Brest (Ecole Supérieure des Arts de Brest)
- Regional Collection of contemporary Arts |
6500 m²
1700 m²
|
"Live Performance" sector
- "Le Fourneau" (National Centre for Street Performing)
- "Training centre for the technical crafts of live performances |
2000 m²
2000 m²
|
Performing course and area | 2500 m² |
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The Workshops © AIVP/IACP | The Workshops © AIVP/IACP |
A housing programme, aiming at combining the urban density with social blending, a diversity of the types of accommodation and quality of the environment, will complete the housing districts close to the Workshops. 400 to 500 accommodations are thus planned (25% under social housing, 25% under controlled cost purchase).
The Capucins
| Prime contracting | Brest Métropole Océane |
Supervising Prime contractors | Brest Métropole Aménagement |
Prime contractors | Bruno Fortier, urban planning architects |
Operational studies | 2007-2009 |
1st phase of construction work | 2010-2013 |
2nd phase of construction work | 2014-2015 |
Nord Penfeld (Le Salou)
Naval and military ship repairs and construction are still active on the 43 hectares of the site and will be conserved. The sector is planned to become in the long term a mainly maritime economic zone. A reflection is currently under way to define the complementary economic activities that could be installed on this divided space.Whether it be on the Penfeld space, on the ZAC of the commercial port or beyond these, over the whole maritime façade of the Brest agglomeration, the notion of shared space (with all the restructuring and negotiations that these suppose!) is guiding this profound redevelopment and provides an answer to the ambitions of the port cities, like Brest, who are members of IACP.
Source:
- Mission and interviews carried out by IACP in Brest on 12th February 2007
- "Front de mer" / Brest Métropole Océane, Pôle développement, 2006 - CD rom.
- Brest: the restructuring and revitalisation of urban, civil and naval port spaces to serve a policy of metropolitan economic development / MORVAN, Michel, Directeur du Pôle développement, Brest Métropole Océane - Communication écrite pour la 10eme Conférence internationale de l'AIVP, Novembre 2006
- Espace Penfeld - Les Capucins / Brest Métropole Océane, Pôle développement, Janvier 2007
- Port de Brest : http://www.brest.port.fr/
IACP members :
Brest Métropole Océane:
http://www.cub-brest.fr
Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Brest
http://www.cci-brest.fr
