A Concrete Shelter – Le Havre
This small-scale structure was inspired by the work of visual artist Marie Compagnon. Designed as a sculptural form resembling an organic envelope that gradually opens in response to the dominant wind directions, each unit is strategically placed along Avenue Foch, from Le Havre station to Porte Océane.
The structure serves multiple functions for pedestrians: a place to rest, meet, find information, seek shelter from rain or sun, enjoy framed views of the city, listen to music, or simply observe the urban environment.
During the design phase, the sculptural nature of the shelter played a key role. Le Havre, known for its post-war architecture and abundant concrete structures, inspired the use of this material. The shelter was designed in a similar aesthetic, but with a unique treatment: the concrete was cast in sandblasted wooden formwork. After the concrete set, the wooden mold was burned, leaving behind a textured, wood-like finish that gives the concrete a warm tone and tactile surface, visually deceptive yet deeply connected to its context.
The burning of the formwork was also conceived as a performative unveiling moment, an experience-based gesture that transformed fabrication into spectacle, creating an opportunity for collective gathering and shared discovery around each structure.
The design and fabrication process reflects a thoughtful fusion of materiality, memory, and context. The sandblasted wooden formwork reveals the natural grain of the wood, allowing it to imprint subtle patterns onto the concrete, almost as if capturing the invisible movement of the wind. By burning the mold after the concrete sets, the structure takes on a warm, textured finish, marked by the ashes of the wood, a poetic gesture that speaks to the passage of time and the transience of materials. This process not only anchors the shelter in Le Havre’s post-war concrete heritage but transforms it into a tactile, sculptural space that feels at once solid, ephemeral, and deeply human.
