Mareterra Monaco: A Lush Urban Landscape
Lush, natural gardens, forests of tall pines, and open green spaces for reconnecting with nature are among the signature features of the new Mareterraeco-district along Monaco’s newly extended coastline, created from a carefully planned sustainable land-reclamation project.
Expansive gardens are just one part of the6-hectare development, which will include luxury residences, retail and recreational space, and a waterfrontpromenade, when the $2.5 billion project is completed by 2025. The highly anticipatedMareterra Monaco, formerly known as Portier Cove, will offer110 apartments and ten villas — six directly on the waterfront — featuring state-of-the-art green technology, in keeping withthe principality’s goal of being carbon neutral by 2050.
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Mareterra Monaco: A Mediterranean Ecosystem
The development’s artful, sustainable landscape,designed by French architect Michel Desvigne, will include native flowering plants and shrubs, as well as mature trees to provide shade along pedestrian areas. His landscape designs are known for bringing a sense of calm to urban spaces, as evidenced in his plans for Mareterra Monaco.
The vision of Desvigne, who is known for his urban landscapes, is “the reintroduction of a natural environment in the city.”
“It is our ambition to not only establish a Mediterranean ecosystem, but to offer the use of a park and to achieve the miniaturised refinement of a garden,” Desvigne says of the landscaping in Mareterra Monaco. “We preferred to evoke the local landscape and nature, rather than create an exotic setting as we did in the 19th century.”
Desvigne’s transformative, natural landscape will also help support and nurture native wildlife, including bees and other insects, birds, and butterflies.
A 1-hectare park area in Mareterra will feature a forest of Aleppo pines and umbrella pines, which have been cultivated for years on a site near the principality. More than 1,000 mature trees, including some that will grow to a height of 15 meters, will fill the space. Notably, the forest will be allowed to develop naturally as part of the overall ecosystem.
Eco features at Mareterra Monaco
Another of Mareterra’sstunning features will be a waterfront promenade that connects to the Grimaldi Forum, and from there, to the elegant Larvotto Beach. As pedestrians stroll along the newly expanded coastline, they can keep an eye out for dolphins, view a spectacular sunset, and simply enjoy the stunning ambiance of the reimagined coastline.
The principality is known internationally for its green culture, including certified green luxury hotels and urban gardens that support restaurants’ organic cuisine, in addition to its lush gardens and parks.
As Monaco strives to maintain its goals of conservation and safeguarding biodiversity, the new eco-district of Mareterrais advancing the commitment to sustainability and conservation. The developers and architects of Mareterra Monaco have worked diligently to protect the natural and marine environment. Their expertise and innovative designs, combined with green technology, are helping to ensure Monaco’s sustainable future.
