Vision for Boulogne
- 6 November 2010 03:3578735
"At the City Council Thursday night, the mayor of Boulogne sur Mer Frédéric Cuvillier introduced an 8-minute film with its ambitions for "Liane Axe," a collection of news around the river in the city. Among the most striking images seen for the first time, there are those of the Spur, an inlet port area in the coming years to expand to accommodate restaurants, services, recreational facilities and accommodation. A futuristic tower, designed by the Lille architect Pierre-Louis Carlier, was also unveiled. But the mayor points out that public debate will take place to refine and develop these architectural sketches."
The video can be viewed on the link below (scroll down):
http://tinyurl.com/398kxa3
The present sad state of the Spur depicted above, which comprises the Gare Maritime with associated ferry berths, can be seen on the link below. A sum of 45 million Euros has been spent providing two ferry berths in the new hub port in the outer harbour but these now lie deserted after spasmodic attempts by LD Lines to maintain a Dover-Boulogne service.
http://hhvferry.com/blog/?tag=gare-maritime - 6 November 2010 07:3678737Very interesting there Ed. Very sad to see the dismal state of affairs that Boulogne is currently experiencing. Went on link two there and saw some of the pictures shown which I saw myself fairly recently in the flesh as it were, and noted the huge amount of nesting cormorants there in the centre of the port where all the activity should be.
The design above is really good, to my eye anyway, and I wish them well getting there. But without a steady stream of revenue coming in from the port I doubt it will ever happen. The drive to spend at that level without a return will dissipate in time.
I suspect that all the national money went into Calais and its infrastructure, leaving Boulogne somewhat behind, it is now looking something of an old fashioned type of port. The fast motorway exits from Calais, and the fast roll on roll off cant be beaten, and thats what people want nowadays. It is very disappointing that LD LINES didnt succeed as Boulogne in itself has a lot to offer as a destination. I guess LD made a fair if spasmodic stab at it and just couldnt make it pay. Personally I would like to see a revival in the link but sadly this now seems unlikely... is there any other Ferry operator willing to step up to the plate in these cash strapped times?email: dover7@msn.com - 9 November 2010 04:2879212One would have thought that somebody could make a go of running a fast craft for daytrippers in the summer months. Hoverspeed, SpeedFerries and LD Lines have all tried and failed to operate fast craft for various reasons.
Boulogne built the ferry berths in the new hub port in the expectation of hosting the BGV services to Sheerness, Norway and Spain but these were the subject of the elaborate con by our own John Paul Airs and never materialised.
They are now stuck with a 45m Euro development and no customers. DHB is probably counting its blessings that work on T2 was not initiated prior to the recession or they would be saddled with a similar white elephant.
http://www.bgv-france.com/spip.php?article79&lang=en
Re the glass high-rise in the artists conception, I have recently learned of one surprising drawback to occupying a glass skyscraper on the waters edge. My sister-in-law has recently moved in to an apartment on the eighteenth floor of the condo behind the yacht in the picture below. She says that the sun reflects off the water onto the glass windows and the apartment is baking hot, even now in November, unless the air conditioning is kept running constantly.
