486 hand-folded metal panels shape origami tribute to mediterranean sea in marseille

site-specific installation mar nostro by uv lab rises in marseille

At Marseille‘s Palais du Pharo, UV Lab has unveiled ‘Mar Nostro’, a site-specific installation composed of 486 hand-folded metal panels overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Conceived as both a gathering space and a memorial, the project reflects on centuries of migration, exchange, and cultural interconnection across the region while honoring those who lost their lives attempting the crossing. Rather than presenting a singular facade, the structure opens in multiple directions, inviting visitors to move through a porous landscape of folded metal surfaces. Inside, shifting light, framed views, and changing shadows create an immersive environment that encourages reflection on movement, memory, and belonging.

conceived as both a gathering space and a memorial, the project reflects on centuries of migration | all images courtesy of UV Lab

parametric design meets craftsmanship in public artwork

While each metal panel piece originated through advanced parametric design and precision digital fabrication, the structure was assembled entirely by hand on site. Developed in collaboration with the Cascadeurs and Cascadeuses of the Cité des Arts de la Rue, ‘Mar Nostro’ emerged through a collective building process. Weeks of cutting, folding, lifting, and fitting with the team at UV Lab transformed the construction site into a space of encounter, where making the work became part of its meaning.

The title references Mare Nostrum, the Roman term for the Mediterranean as ‘our sea.’ By subtly transforming the phrase, the project questions ideas of ownership and belonging that have historically been imposed upon the region. The name also recalls the Lingua Franca once spoken throughout Mediterranean ports — a hybrid language formed through exchanges between Arabic, Italian, Spanish, French, and many other cultures. Like that shared language, the installation embraces plurality, movement, and coexistence.

the title references Mare Nostrum, the Roman term for the Mediterranean as ‘our sea’

architectural structure shaped by light and geography

From a distance, ‘Mar Nostro’ evokes a ship’s hull, a shell, or a temporary shelter. Up close, its folded geometry captures and redirects light while framing views of Marseille and the sea beyond. The structure has no central axis, hierarchy, or dominant facade. Instead, three openings gesture toward Africa, Asia, and Europe, reflecting the centuries of exchange, migration, and cultural interconnection that have linked these regions through the Mediterranean.

As sunlight filters through the metal surfaces, shifting patterns of light recall the stars once used by sailors, travelers, and migrants navigating open waters. The installation becomes both a physical shelter and a symbolic landscape shaped by movement across the sea.

the structure has no central axis, hierarchy, or dominant facade

a site-specific tribute to marseille’s multicultural identity

For UV Lab, the Mediterranean is not simply a geographical territory but a living archive of encounters, journeys, and shared histories. ‘Mar Nostro’ reflects this understanding through a structure that continually changes with the movement of visitors and light. Installed in Marseille — a city long shaped by migration and exchange — the project stands as a monument to coexistence, proposing architecture as a space of connection rather than division.

three openings gesture toward Africa, Asia, and Europe

as sunlight filters through the metal surfaces, shifting patterns of light recall stars

the project stands as a monument to coexistence, proposing architecture as a space of connection

each metal panel piece originated through advanced parametric design and precision digital fabrication

from a distance, ‘Mar Nostro’ evokes a ship’s hull, a shell, or a temporary shelter

project info:

name: Mar Nostro – Notre Mer – بَحرُنا
designer: UV LAB

location: Marseille, France

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: claire brodka| designboom