The yacht club is the symbolic centrepiece of the Monaco’s remodelled harbour front. It celebrates the principality’s spectacular coastline and its nautical heritage, creating a series of deck-like terraces that step up along the harbour to offer unrivalled views out to races at sea or inland over the course of the renowned Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. Located on an area of reclaimed land, the development extends the city’s existing marina eastwards and can accommodate a range of craft, from sailing boats to 100-metre super yachts.
The club is entered via a glazed atrium that frames views out over the harbour to the palace. On the first floor are a clubroom, bar and restaurant
Above is a double-height function space, and above that an apartment for the club secretary and a series of ‘cabins’ for visiting guests. The uppermost floors accommodate a range of event spaces. The observation decks are shaded by retractable fabric screens supported by a mast and booms. The harbour elevations are fully glazed and shaded by louvres, and can be opened up to provide uninterrupted views. Photovoltaic cells, solar thermal panels and sea-water cooling systems have all been integrated to ensure the building sets new sustainability standards, in line with Monaco’s environmental ambitions.