tramoni extends hangar J1 in marseille

‘habiter le port : Marseille retrouve la mer’ by orsini alicia, de rocca serra michel, tramoni, marseille, franceimage © tramoni

in the conversation of urban sprawl, reflections on the city evolve and the search for exploitable remnants of land remains at the heart of the debate. the city of marseille has always been a city facing the sea and the port plays a major role in the history of the city, with the gold coast standing as one of the busiest areas. the extension to hangar J1 adds a new urban layer to the fabric of the metropolis, building a city on the city. in the context of conquest, ‘hangar port J1’ designed by the team of orsini alicia, de rocca serra michel, tramoni possesses a rich potential due to its location, history, and dimensions. in fact, this advanced sea of more than 250 meters long built in 1939 was intended to house the commercial marine and transportation practices, which still maintains active service today apart from the heritage museum on the top two floors, a powerful program that is not only preserving history but actively functioning to contribute to the very city it presents.

J1 consists today of a post and beam structure of reinforced concrete on the ground floor and first floor, and metal studs on the second floor supporting large steel trusses. the construction system of the extension is to use the existing structure and coming on stream. indeed, each cell housing is made of a metal freestanding structure consisting of a multitude of shapes creating interconnected gates like a marine structure, whose elements slip between the existing steel trusses. steel allows the project to develop a lightweight structure for minimum disruption to the existing charges. its use in the structural system and assemblies allow the disassembly of elements. the project was intended to reflect the industrial aspects, where the modular interventions act as freestanding structures that can be inserted or removed without disrupting the existing construction.

bird’s eye viewimage © tramoni