A VESSEL OF CHANGE
LE-HAVRE, FRANCE
GPS: 49°28'27.9"N 0°07'37.1"ETypology: Museum, urban renewal
Year:  2024
Type: Competition (w/ Andreas Madum, Shengke Lim)

The 2024 Paris Olympics introduced a fleet of game-changing electric water taxis to promote transportation along the Seine. With this niche enacting itself within the marine transport industry in countries like Norway and The Netherlands, the call for speciality ports is becoming increasingly inevitable. Le-Havre’s position along the English Channel and its pre-existing foothold as Europe’s fifth-largest cargo port creates a prime location for a new node for Le-Havre’s chokehold on the industry.


Historic Le-Havre
Existing windbreak


By allowing Le-Havre to capture and expedite large alternative energy transport vessels, it can become a node to enter and exit France. The Seine will then act as an aquatic highway, connecting the sea to the many municipalities along the river and towards the Île-de-France. Le-Havre’s geography will allow it to function as the gateway in and out of France, bringing tourism into the country’s hull.


Site location

Gateway to Paris


The Museum of Naval Transport captures these vessels, bringing people from the beginnings of marine transportation, the canoe, to the industry’s future, the electric water taxi. This provides a brief introduction to those visiting Le-Havre and a nudge to explore the historic city further upon arrival.


Axonometric





Floorplans


The existing windbreaks’ architectural expression lends a prominent character, and by expanding this form, the building pays respect to the public image of Le-Havre without being obsequious. The museum is a scion of the iconic windbreak, a distortion of such. The three ‘windbreaks’ are held together by capillaries spanning between them, fluidly intertwining between the ships presented within.


Section


The museum will expedite the transformation of the industrial waterfront, blending work with life and play and transport with history. Le-Havre’s gateway is a vessel of change, a connection to the outer world, and a promotion of the city’s itch for progress.



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Dylan Baliski Architecture (DBA) is a portfolio focusing on academic, competition, and built works from around the world.