Snøhetta designs new urban red carpet for the legendary Croisette in Cannes

“We are both deeply honored and excited to have been entrusted with the further design of one of the world’s most renowned bay walks,” says Snøhetta’s co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen. Together with local French partner Atelier d’Urbanité Roland Castro and engineering firm WSP, Snøhetta has won the architectural competition for upgrading and modernizing the Boulevard de La Croisette in the Mediterranean city of Cannes.

The winning proposal “Spotlight” aims to refurbish the Croisette, giving back prestige and elegance to this world-famous waterfront promenade. The proposal will support Cannes’ ambition to enhance the Croisette to the status that it deserves.

«The Croisette is the social backbone of Cannes. Its circular shape embraces the bay and creates a series of connections between the public, the city and the sea. Our design is a tribute to the inherent qualities of this iconic waterfront,» Thorsen says.

A bustling boulevard

World famous for the International Film Festival it hosts every month of May; the 2,6 km-long boulevard runs from the Palais des Festivals, all along the Bay of Cannes towards the Cap de la Croisette. The current design dates back to the 1960s, but the Croisette originates from the late 1800s when Lord Brougham first uncovered the beauty of the Bay of Cannes and settled there afterward.

Over time, the Croisette changed dramatically from the scenic coastal route it once was to the bustling boulevard it is today. It is punctuated by palaces, luxury stores and listed buildings on the city side, and by a variety of beaches on the seaside, from the public beaches to the most exclusive ones connected to the palaces.

Copyright: A'U Roland Castro & Snøhetta / MIRCopyright: A'U Roland Castro & Snøhetta / MIR
Copyright: A'U Roland Castro & Snøhetta / MIR
Copyright: A'U Roland Castro & Snøhetta / MIR

Open public space with local qualities

Inspired by Art Deco, referencing the palaces of Cannes, Snøhetta aims to respectfully build on the great success of the Croisette, revamping the boulevard, making it greener, more open and accessible as well as providing new amenities and comfort.

Following the Croisette’s perfect circular shape, the proposal introduces a regular repetition of stairs leading to the beaches, looking out to the Mediterranean Sea, creating an enticing and emotional rhythm.

A new paving will be introduced, acting as a new urban red carpet, reflecting the old Suquet neighborhood and the vivid red color from the nearby Massif de l’Estérel. It creates a generous and shimmering waterfront that brings back the prestige of the legendary destination. Snøhetta also introduces a series of “Spotlights” to highlight the main points of interest – the Palaces, the beach accesses, the Palais des Festivals. They create small plazas associating exquisite golden details to the subtle nuances of red granite, enhancing the preciousness of the Croisette, worthy of its worldwide reputation. A particular attention will be paid to sourcing local materials.

Snøhetta’s product design team has designed a collection of custom urban furniture including benches, lighting and shading specifically for the Croisette. To improve the comfort and safety of the users, soft benches emerge from the ground and echo the distant shapes of the Estérel. Shades and lighting influenced by the Art Déco history of Cannes are located all along the waterfront to increase the shaded areas and the well-being of the visitors. ​
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Increasing biodiversity, water management and green mobility

The project is developing an ambitious and holistic environmental strategy, increasing the presence of the vegetation along the promenade with species carefully picked from the Mediterranean palette for their climate resiliency and richness. This new layer of vegetation will also help reinforcing the biodiversity of the Croisette. In addition to the enhanced greenery, new water features will be introduced to complete the proposal in order to refresh the promenade.

The proposal also focuses on increasing green mobility for pedestrians and cyclists by creating a universally accessible promenade generating novel ways of enjoying the Croisette by introducing unique features fostering social interaction, creating an original experience. By reorganizing traffic lanes, the project aims to have a positive impact on public safety.
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FACTS: ​
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​Project name: Un nouvel écrin pour la Croisette
​Client: City of Cannes
​Partner architect: L’Atelier d’urbanité Roland Castro
​Engineering firm: WSP
​Typology: public space
​Disciplines: Landscape, product design
​Size: 2,6 km
​Timeline: Phase 01: 2025 / Phase 02: 2027 / Phase 03 & 04: 2028
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​CONTACT:

Maïlys Meyer
​Architect, Landscape Architect
​Snøhetta Paris
​mailys@snohetta.com ​
​+33 6 13 56 32 18
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Camille Henry

Communication Manager, Snøhetta Paris

 

 

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About Snøhetta

For almost 40 years, Snøhetta has designed some of the world’s most notable public and cultural projects. Snøhetta kick-started its career in 1989 with the competition-winning entry for the new library of Alexandria, Egypt. This was later followed by the commission for the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet in Oslo, and the National September 11 Memorial Museum Pavilion at the World Trade Center in New York City, among many others. 

Since its inception, the practice has maintained its original transdisciplinary approach, and often integrates a combination of architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, product design and art across its projects. The collaborative nature between Snøhetta's different disciplines is an essential driving force of the practice.

Today, Snøhetta has a global presence, with studios in seven locations spanning from Oslo to Paris, Innsbruck, New York, Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and Melbourne.

Snøhetta is currently working on a wide range of international projects, including the Shanghai Grand Opera House, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Dakota, Harbourside redevelopment in Sydney and La Croisette in Cannes, to name a few. 

Recently completed works include Vertikal Nydalen in Oslo, Beijing City Library, the renovation of Musée national de la Marine in Paris, Orionis - the planetarium and observatory of Douai, Airside in Hong Kong, Esbjerg Maritime Center in Denmark, 550 Madison Garden and Revitalization in New York, as well as Volum lamps for Lodes.

Some of Snøhetta's previous projects include Ordrupgaard Art Museum expansion in Denmark, the Cornell University Executive Education Center and Hotel in New York City, Le Monde Group Headquarters in Paris, including the wayfinding and signage, Europe’s first underwater restaurant, Under, the redesign of the public space in Times Square, the expansion to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Lascaux IV: The International Centre for Cave Art, Powerhouse Brattørkaia and design for Norway’s new banknotes.

Snøhetta’s working method simultaneously explores traditional handicraft and cutting-edge digital technology. At the heart of all Snøhetta’s work lies a commitment to social and environmental sustainability, shaping the built environment and design in the service of humanism. Every project is designed with strong, meaningful concepts in mind – concepts that can translate the ethos of its users and their context.

Among many recognitions, Snøhetta has been awarded the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award for the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet, and the Aga Kahn Prize for Architecture for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. In 2016, Snøhetta was named Wall Street Journal Magazine's Architecture Innovator of the Year, and the practice has been named one of the world’s most innovative companies by Fast Company two years in a row. In 2020, Snøhetta was awarded the National Design Award for Architecture, bestowed by Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. In 2021 and 2022, Snøhetta’s Forite tiles won the Sustainable Design of the Year by Dezeen and Best Domestic Design by Wallpaper* in 2022, and the wayfinding system for Le Monde Group Headquarters was acknowledged with Monocle Design Awards. In 2023, Snøhetta won a number of awards for the Esbjerg Maritime Center and was named Architects of the Year at the Monocle Design Awards, in 2024 included a number of awards to Beijing Library and the BIA 2024 Award to Snøhetta and in 2025, Snøhetta was recognized with the OPAL Special Award for Sustainability, among others. 

Disclaimer: All materials provided by Snøhetta are intended exclusively for editorial use to communicate the specified project(s). The use of this material for commercial or third-party purposes is strictly prohibited. No material may be edited or altered from its original state in any manner. Credit must be given for all content used, acknowledging Snøhetta and/or the photographer or creator as the source. By using Snøhetta's press material, you agree to these terms and conditions.

 

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