Location: Marne la Vallée, France.

Architect: Jacques Ferrier.

The site plan for the Villages Nature resort area’s aquatic park has been determined by the direction of winds and the path of the sun. The park is protected from cold north-easterly winter winds and opens towards the west to make the most of cool breezes in warm weather. The park is oriented to receive as much sunlight as possible in winter while protecting itself from excessive exposure to the sun through its terraces in summer. The proposal for the aquatic park resembles an unfolding landscape, rising into the sky, and is visible from the surrounding area, becoming a point of reference and a symbol of the resort area. The park looks like a world that has emerged from the lake, with an aerial construction layering hanging gardens, playing with water and transparency. The structure is open to the public and becomes an extension of the aquatic facilities, offering a new experience to visitors exploring the built landscape. The structure presents a stunning vantage point over the inside of the aquatic park and offers spectacular views of the resort area and the wider landscape. The park is flooded with light, and all the elements of the project participate in creating a sense of spectacle that serves to heighten the experience of the aquatic activities in the park. The entrance to the aquatic park is connected to a large forecourt around which Villages Nature’s different “public” spaces are arranged, and the hall leads to changing rooms via a long corridor and servant spaces. Once visitors have gone through the changing room area, they discover the inner space of the aquatic park, designed as a large expanse of water strewn with islands of various sizes and with a variety of functions. This archipelago extends outside, into the lagoon, accentuating the continuity between indoors and outdoors. The air pavilion links the other two pavilions and is set back from the edge of the lagoon to create a protected space.

Photo credit: Luc Boegly.