In Nice, Studio Libeskind in collaboration with Fevrier Carre Architectes and landscape architect Jean Mus has been selected to design the “Gare Thiers-Est” (East Thiers Station), the result of an international competition sponsored by the City of Nice.
The project is part of a major urban redevelopment of Thiers central station (€ 61.5 million in ongoing investments) and its surroundings. The project involves the design of 18,300 square meters of high-end commercial space featuring shops, restaurants with panoramic views of the city, as well as a Hilton hotel, a 600-seat auditorium, co-working spaces and terraced cafes.
The project will reconnect the urban fabric by creating new pedestrian connections between the station and the street and will reconnect the North and South neighborhoods that are currently separated by the railways and the Pierre- Mathis road.
“This project represents the forward thinking of the City of Nice to create a major architectural landmark and to rejuvenate the surrounding area near the Theirs Station in this historic city,” said architect Daniel Libeskind. “For Nice, my aim was to create a building that is seen from all angles— that will become the connective tissue between two sectors and reconnect the neighborhoods. It will serve to reflect the city, the light and the landscape, "explains Libeskind.
Inspired by the mineral forms of azurite, each peak is conceived as a harmonious crystallization whose edges speak to Avenue Jean Médecin. The reflective façade is covered with metal as facets and scales with serigraphs on the windows that reflect the neighboring buildings, sky and landscape of Nice. The result is a sculptural, concrete, steel and glass set, cut like a diamond, with multiple faces rising nearly 40 meters high to obscure the rail tracks.
The strong architectural identity of the project will be visible from the avenues Thiers and Jean Médecin as well as from the railway area. Treating the roof like a fifth façade,it inscribes into the landscape of the urban environment of Nice and will be visible from the hills. One of the spectacular elements will be its prow, z cantilevered main facade emerging on Avenue Jean Médecin. It will also provide a covered connection between the train station and the Jean-Médecin tram station.
Construction is slated to begin in late 2017 with expected completion at the end of 2019.
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