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— 2019 —
CONTENTS
IN THE UNIVERSE OF LES MACHINES DE L’ÎLE ..................................... P.3
THE GALERIE DES MACHINES .....................................................................P.4
THE GRAND ÉLÉPHANT ............................................................................. P.6
THE CARROUSEL DES MONDES MARINS ................................................... P.7
THE WORKSHOP, THE FILM, THE EXHIBITION AND THE PROTOTYPE
BRANCH ............................................................................................................... P.10
THE COMPANY LA MACHINE ................................................................... P.11
THE HERONS’ TREE ................................................................................... P.12
THE GIFT SHOP AND THE CAFÉ DE LA BRANCHE ................................... P.14
SEASONS OF LES MACHINES DE L’ÎLE ...................................................... P.15
4TH ÉDITION: NANTES MAKER CAMPUS FROM 5 TO 7 JULY .................. P.1 6
THE TRAIL ON THE SITE OF THE FORMER SHIPYARDS ........................... P.17
THE CO-AUTHORS OF LES MACHINES PROJECT ...................................... P.18
A MEANINGFUL, INSPIRATIONAL URBAN PROJECT .............................. P.19
FINANCING ............................................................................................... P.21
LE VOYAGE À NANTES .............................................................................. P.22
SPONSORS OF THE MACHINES DE L’ÎLE .................................................. P.23
2019 OPENING HOURS AND DATES ................................................................ P.24
PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS & PRICES ..................................................... P.25
MAP ........................................................................................................... P.28
IN THE UNIVERSE OF
LES MACHINES DE L’ÎLE
Located on the site of the former shipyards, emblematic place of
the industrial and port heritage of the city, extraordinary machines
are being built. “Les Machines de l’île”, monumental mechanical
structures open to the public, imagined by François Delarozière
and Pierre Orefice, is an unprecedented artistic project.

Nantes Métropole decided to breathe new life into the site of the
former shipyards by creating a large-scale tourist and cultural
project, as part of the urban redevelopment of the Île de Nantes.

The first machines came to life in 2007 with the Grand Éléphant’s
first stroll and the visit of the Galerie des Machines. In 2012, the
IN 2018
opening of the Carrousel des Mondes Marins was the result of the 642 670 VISITS, INCLUDING:
work initiated since the inauguration based on the theme of the sea.
303 419 VISITS IN THE
GALERIE DES MACHINES
Today, the limitless ways of imagining vegetation have been given
85 471 RIDES ON THE GRAND
centre-stage in the Galerie des Machines, heralding a new chapter ÉLÉPHANT
in this incredible adventure: The Arbre aux Hérons (Herons’ Tree) 252 119 VISITS IN THE CARROUSEL
in the Chantenay quarry. Opening expected in springtime 2022. DES MONDES MARINS
1 661 VISITS AT NANTES MAKER
Visitors can watch the creators of the company La CAMPUS

Machine at work in the workshop from a gangway. 4447 TICKETS SALES FOR SEASONAL
PROGRAMMATION
(PRINTEMPS DES NEFS, ÉTÉ INDIEN
From sketches, that call to mind the inventions of Leonardo AUX NEFS, NOËL AUX NEFS)
da Vinci, to the machines in operation, the entire creative
process is presented in a magical site, which resembles
both a laboratory and a performance/exhibit.

LES MACHINES DE L’ÎLE

GENERAL MANAGEMENT: PIERRE OREFICE
OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT: PETRA KOLLNER

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THE GALERIE
FEATURES
THE SLOTH

WEIGHT: 120 KG / 264.5 LB

DES MACHINES LENGHT FROM THE HEAD TO THE TAIL: 1.50 M /

5 FT.
LENGHT OF THE BRANCHE: 6 M / 20 FT.
WIDTH : 40 UP TO 50 CM / 1.31 UP TO 1.64 FT
The Galerie is a living space showcasing a veritable
bestiary of machines. The machines built in the
workshops of the company, La Machine, are tested in
this lab.
During the visit, the machinists will explain to the audience the history and
workings of these strange creatures. They breathe life into the imaginary
world of the Herons’ Tree, major project of Les Machines de l’île.

Since 2018, you can discover the crucial prototypes for the studies of the
Herons’ Tree set up in the Galerie and a large 1:5 scale model of the trunk,
branches, struts, and roots. In 2019, a sloth and a hummingbird joined an
other giant hummingbird gathering nectar from a flower, a flock of wild geese,
a mechanical spider, a giant ant, an inchworm, and an 8 meters heron joined
the bestiary of the Herons’ Tree at the heart of the Galerie des Machines. They
will be the first prototypes to inhabite the Tree.

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High up in the rafters of the Galerie des Machines, you can see a heron with an 8
meter-long wingspan soaping gracefully. Then it’s Giant Ant’s turn to make his entrance.
Here, real plants grow next to mechanical ones, and animal from the canopy… and, the
public might be invited to climb in and control each the inchworm or the giant ant!

Since the initiation of the study phase on the Herons’ Tree in 2017, the Galerie des
Machines is the sharing place of this fantastic artistic adventure, which is also a real
technical and industrial challenge. As a tree growth, his construction is a living process.

From the very first sketches to fully functioning machines, the entire creative process is on
display in this Galerie-Laboratory. It shows the construction of the Grand Éléphant, of the
Carrousel des Mondes Marins and the ongoing research being done for the Herons’ Tree.

THE EUROPEAN FLIGHT TEST CENTER

This wind tunnel flight simulator used to test all the amazing flying machines
is unique in the world. A machinist takes the control of a “flying flea”, put on his
seat belt, helmet and goggles, and flies at speeds of more than 100 km/h.

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 THE GRAND
ÉLÉPHANT
When it walks out of the warehouses, this majestic,
12-meters (40 ft.) high animal will be carrying fifty
passengers on board. It is like architecture in motion
leaving a steel cathedral for an amazing journey.

Once aboard, the passengers will see the moving gears that power the legs.
A machinist will tell stories about the elephant and have it trumpeting. FEATURES
12 M (40 FT.) HIGH, 8 M (26 FT.) WIDE
AND 21 M (70 FT.) LONG
Being on the back of the Grand Éléphant, is like being on the 4th
48,4 METRIC TONS OF WOOD (TULIP
floor of a travelling house, with a breathtaking view of the former POPLAR AND BASSWOOD) AND STEEL
shipyards. In this carriage, the passengers travel out of time to METAL BODY LUBRICATED WITH 2500
the imaginary world of Jules Verne in the city where he was born. LITRES OF IDRAULIC OIL
2 500 LITRES D’HUILE HYDRAULIQUE
Every weekend, several hundred people accompany it.
150 HP MOTOR
SPEED 1 À TO 3 KM/H
Last year, The Grand Éléphant has gotten a facelift after nearly 20,000 kilometres SET IN MOTION USING 62 CYLINDERS,
(12,500 mi.) and no less than 23,000 trips. He get back, and more silent than 46 OF WHICH ARE HYDRAULIC,
6 PNEUMATIC AND 10 GAS POWERED
ever, with a new hybrid motor following the hybrid motorization of the dragon
horse Long Ma. The world’s first eco-friendly mechanical pachyderm! 3 DIFFÉRENTS ITINERARIES
DURATION: APPROXIMATELY 30 MINUTES
Those who are curious to know more can follow the Grand Éléphant’s evolution in (INCLUDING BOARDING/LANDING)
the workshop, and then later in the walkway of the walkway of La Machine’s atelier. AN INDOOR LOUNGE WITH FRENCH
DOORS AND BALCONIES
A TERRACE ACCESSIBLE VIA STAIRWAYS

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THE CARROUSEL DES
MONDES MARINS
Located on the banks of the Loire river, opposite the
Jules Verne Museum, the Carrousel des Mondes Marins
seems to come out of the Île de Nantes’s belly at the most
maritime place of the city.
«The inhabitants of Nantes attachment to the maritime past of their city, the setting up
of Les Machines de l’île in the former shipyards in Nantes, at the downstream end of the
Île de Nantes have imposed the sea theme as soon as the project started in 2001.
The vibrant imagination related to the sea is limitless and shared by everyone.
The fishing world or the one of long-distance journeys have put men at the heart of all
maritime adventures. Great navigators or pirates, Captain Achab or Némo haunt our
imagination. A sunset on the ocean, the beauty of the silent world collide with the fear of
the deep sea and of abysmal monsters… FEATURES
DIAMETER: 22M (72 FT.)
HIGH: 25M (82FT.)
The idea to use the same structure as that of the banks to bear the Marine Worlds was the NUMBER OF ELEMENTS: 36
starting point of the invention of the Carrousel. As a way out of the island basement, it NUMBER OF SEATS: 85
found a place at the bottom of the yellow crane, facing the Jules Verne museum. MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 300 PEOPLE
ACCESS TO THE ELEMENTS: ADULTS,
The other powerful idea that led to its conception is based on the overlapping of 3
CHILDREN AND PEOPLE WITH REDUCED
merry-go-rounds; it tieds up with our will to conceive incredible machinery that MOBILITY
rekindle fairground arts. FAIRGROUND MODE WITH
From 2007 to 2011, the 36 elements of the Marine Worlds populated the Galerie des POSSIBILITY TO DO RIDE(S) ON THE
MERRY-GO-ROUND
Machines. Nantes inhabitants could see them as they were being built before their eyes OR DISCOVERY MODE, AN ANIMATED
in the workshop then in action in the Galerie des Machines and today they embark in VISIT WITHOUT POSSIBILITY TO DO A
the Carrousel.» RIDE.

François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice

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This giant carousel, almost 25 m (82 ft.) high and 22 m
(72 ft.) in diameter, is installed on the banks of the
Loire River. An authentic 360° theatre that the public
discovers in an incredible sculpture dedicated to the
sea.

The visitors are spectators of strange and disturbing marine creatures

that revolve in a huge room built on three levels. They discover the
sea like never before, from seabed and abyss to sea surface.
The Carrousel des Mondes
In the seabed, the public discover the Giant Crab, the Reverse Propulsion Marins is the 5th merry-
Squid, the exploring Machine that dives deep into the machine room, go-round built by the
or the Bathyscaphe that climbs up the central mast… and the last one: company La Machine.
the Box-fish. A total of 14 elements fixed onto a rotating plateau. After the Manège Magique
(1992), the Beau Manège (1995),
Into the abyss, on the second level, 6 elements hang 5 metres above the seabeds: the Manège d’Andréa (1999),
the Deep-Sea lanternfish, the Manta Ray or else the Pirate fish... Only visitors over the Manège carré Sénart (2008).
1m35 (4.5 ft.) are accepted aboard this level. Apart from its exceptional size,
its originality resides in its 3
On the sea surface, on the third level, a rotating plateau, protected by a Big layered levels. Here we go back
Top, sweeps away boats, marine harnesses and other flying Fish, a storm Boat, to the fairground arts tradition
Nutshells and Jellyfish, in a raging whirlpool of 24 big mechanical waves. and to merry-go-rounds of the
late 19th century. At this time,
The Grand Éléphant links the Carrousel up to the warehouses, that the elements were less designed
host the Galerie des Machines and to the workshop, at the heart of as thrilling machines than as
the Machines’ system. Like a ship, it accosts at the Carrousel pier genuine travelling machines.
to drop off passengers then sets sail to resume its journey.

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OPERATING PROCEDURES
The Carrousel des Mondes Marins is
operated according to two modes of operation,
depending on the period.

FAIRGROUND MODE DISCOVERY MODE

Wednesday afternoons from 14.00 (2 pm). On Tuesdays, Wednesday mornings*,
Week-end and French school holidays Thursdays and Fridays during French
school terms.
• Visit with ride(s): Access to the gangways and
the possibility to come on board of one of the • Animated visit: The machinists introduce
elements, on one of the three levels. the universe of the Marine Worlds from the
seabed to the surface of the sea and set some
• Visit without ride: Access to the gangways, no levels in motion. Visitors attend it from the
access to the elements, nor to the rotating levels. gangways and can be invited to participate to the
animation of the moving parts of the third level.

* According to schedules

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AND ALSO...
THE WORKSHOP, THE FILM, THE
EXHIBITION AND THE PROTOTYPE BRANCH
The workshop
On the street of the warehouses, head over to the terraces are accessible to the public
via the great staircase. From the belvederes, the public will discover the workshop of the
company La Machine, a truly experimental laboratory. Visitors can watch the builders
working in an universe of wood and steel. Their hands mould and create fantastic
creatures of Les Machines de l’île, as well as the compagny’s other projects.

The film
A 14-minutes film, realized by Dominique Deluze, describing the entire
adventure of Les Machines de l’île is shown on one of the terraces. It tells
the story of the Machines de l’île, from its genesis to today.

The photography exposition “The March of the Giants”

Don’t miss the photo exhibition La Marche des géants (“The March of the Giants”).
The photographs, which were taken from Sébastien Duffillot’s book of the same
name, help visitors better understand the partnership we set up last year with his
association, “Des éléphants & des Hommes”, which seeks to protect elephants. Laos
has been selected as the first country where we will deploy our activities.

The prototype branche of the future Herons’ Tree

Stretching out of the facade and taking you down to the public square in front of the warehouses,
this branch (20 metric tons and 20 m/65 ft. long) is the first part of a monumental tree that
will have 22 branches in all. The prototype branch was created during the first phase of Les
Machines de l’île in 2007 to verify the strength and safety of the construction, and to validate
the methods used for growing plant life on the tree. This project, presented in the Galerie,
is expected to open to the public in 2022, in the Chantenay quarry, along the Loire.

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THE COMPANY
LA MACHINE
A street theatre company born in 1999 and directed by François Delarozière.
Alongside the Machines de l’île project, the company also develops and creates
many street performances : Les Mécaniques Savantes, Le Dîner des petites
mécaniques, L’Expédition végétale, Long Ma Jing Shen - L’esprit du Cheval
dragon and their last creation Le Gardien du Temple with the Minautor.
With its interventions in the public space, the company La Machine
takes part in the connection between urban and cultural development.
Through each one of its living architecture, it is a matter of dreaming the
cities of tomorrow and transforming the look we take on our cities.

Movement
At the heart of the artistic process of the company La Machine,
motion is interpreted as a language, as a source of emotion. The
machines come to life thanks to manipulation. A scene is played out
between the people handling the elements and the public.

Work
What is produced by a workman, a craftsman, an artist. This is exactly
the superimposition of the gestures of each member of the building team
of the company La Machine that makes a sensitive object of this work.

Materials PRESS CONTACT :

Steel, leather, lime wood, oak, douglas fir, glass, cloth, copper, brass, zinc, FRÉDETTE LAMPRE
[Link]@[Link]
silver leaf, gold leaf, stainless steel, parchment etc… We prefer noble materials. +33 (0)6 87 77 28 71
Through time and with use, they get a unique patina and become almost alive
under the hands of the technician who handles them.
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THE HERONS’ TREE
Out of the minds of François Delarozière and Pierre
Orefice, a new extraordinary project will see the light of
day in 2022: The Herons’ Tree – a City in the Sky !

On 7 July 2016, the Mayor of Nantes and President of Nantes-Métropole, Johanna

Rolland, announced the launch of the project for the Herons’ Tree – City in the
Sky, whose previous and current years are devoted to studying and scheduling
the construction, the next two years will be dedicated to the construction works. THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE
It will be built in the Chantenay Quarry. Construction will take place over 5 years, HERONS’ TREE IS A SHARED
and it is scheduled to open in 2022. ADVENTURE
Everyone can contribute
Located on the edge of the Loire River, 800 metres (1/2 mile”) as the heron flies to building the Heron Tree
from the Carrousel des Mondes Marins, a giant tree will grow out of the cliffs and become a member of
of the Sillon de Bretagne: a geological ridge and paradise of biodiversity. this adventure combining
This one-of-a-kind urban park, with its own microclimate, will glorify the hanging art, technology, and the
gardens of the Herons’ [Link] project heralds the renewal of the Bas Chantenay mutation of an urban space.
neighbourhood and the banks of the Loire, which are undergoing a massive This project will be partly
transformation. It goes without saying that links will be built between the financed by public funds,
Herons’ Tree and Chantenay Quarry. A mechanical osprey nested in a bluff local governments, businesses
might suddenly fly along a cable between branches. A botanical garden for plants and individuals (i.e.,
on the Herons’ Tree will be located at the foot of the cliff. Rainwater will run off the citizens of the world!).
cliff face and be recuperated, then carried off to the branches. Estimated cost: 35 million euros.
(financial repartition :
Every member of the mechanical bestiary, currently being created in the Galerie 1/3 by Nantes Métropole,
des Machines, will populate the Tree: the giant ant, the inchworm, the spider... 1/3 by public institution
Hundreds of weightless visitors will become the inhabitants of this City in and 1/3 by private partners
the Sky. At the very top, the tree will be crowned by 2 giant herons, each (entreprises, private people).
of which will carry around fifteen passengers on a vertiginous flight.

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This steel and wooden tree will measure 50 m (165 ft.) in diameter. It will stretch 32
m (105 ft.) in the air and will be made up of 22 branches, resulting in a kilometre-
long stroll in the air, half of which is in the incredible hanging gardens.
Just like the Grand Éléphant, the Heron Tree will be an urban machine that is
accessible to all that can be observed and visited however one likes.

Studies today are being carried out on the development of the flora with the goal of obtaining
a clean ecosystem. The Prototype Branch located above the gift-bookshop has been walked
on over 4 million times since the Machines de l’île opened in 2007. It has allowed us to test
the sturdiness, safety, and possibility of growing vegetation in the suspended gardens.

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 THE CAFÉ DE THE GIFT SHOP
LA BRANCHE Located under the prototype
Branch of Herons’ Tree, the
Have your lunch while watching gift-shop offers a wide range of
the Grand Éléphant stroll by, and drawings and books, inspired by
enjoy the chef’s “back from the Les Machines de l’île.
market” menu, with a choice of
fish, a traditional dish or grilled Most of them are originally designed
meat, as well as homemade pies. creations, and exclusively available here.
A privileged space for passionate readers,
Or, have a snack on the weekend. Depending the bookshop offers a various collection
on the season, you can enjoy: homemade of books with themes like elephants, sea
quiche, fresh vegetable soup, meal-sized salads, and nature conservation, architecture and
homemade sandwiches... as well as hot dogs and sustainable development, art of gardening,
panini sandwiches in the summer. orchids, the machines used in theatre
For your four o’clock coffee break, muffins, and film, novels and travel stories.
rownies, shortbread, or donuts are available, with For kids, the children’s section will give
locally produced regional beverages. your little ones a taste for art books.
In July and August, a small summertime bar is set
up under the warehouses offering a selection of Our online shop allows you to continue
snacks and drinks to shopping for its emblematic
take away.. products.
[Link]

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SEASONS OF LES
MACHINES DE L’ÎLE
Since autumn 2007, special programs have been scheduled to
keep pace with the seasons.

Printemps des Nefs (May - June)

and Été indien aux Nefs (September-October)
The programs feature family fun, outdoor performances and street theatre. They include all types
of live performances: theatre, music, dance, circus, children’s shows and visual arts. The events are
free or inexpensive, and given the evocative nature of the location and the highly accomplished
international and local artists invited to perform, these programs have been a resounding success
with visitors of all ages and walks of life. The events of every edition host up to 20,000 visitors.

Noël aux Nefs

The Christmas atmosphere in the warehouses, with Christmas trees, roasting chestnuts, holiday
lights in the Galerie and the Carrousel and child-friendly events, is perfect for a family outing.

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NANTES
MAKER CAMPUS
FROM 5 TO 7 JULY 2019
The partnership between Les Machines de l’île and the company La
Machine, is beginning to be recognized throughout the world as
explosive, surprising and one-of-a-kind.

“If we’re showing up in unexpected places, it’s no accident. Our Award in Los Angeles, La Machine
in Beijing and throughout the world, our encounter with the Makers movement, our conferences
at the Maker Faire in Paris and New York, François Delarozière’s assembly before the West Coast
Makers in San Francisco, both visits to Nantes by the California founders of the Makers movement,
as well as by the art director of Burning Man... all of this shows that we’re also seen as a hub of
innovation, technology, and industry throughout the world.”

Both a science festival and an all-out celebration, the Nantes Maker Campus brings
together tech enthusiasts, manufacturers, amateurs, engineers, science clubs, artists,
students and start-ups.
What sets it apart from the 120 other Maker Faires around the world is how it showcases
designers and builders who work in artistic fields and wish to meet the public. You’ll find
exceptional machines roaming between the Maker Faire, rue des Nefs, and the square
outside the Machines de l’île.

Registration to participate in meet-ups for future makers/

exhibitors is scheduled in Spring 2019.

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THE TRAIL ON THE SITE
OF THE FORMER SHIPYARDS
The universe of Les Machines unfolds on either side
of an indoor street inside the warehouses.

This is where one of the éléphant boarding platforms is located. On one side is the Galerie des Machines with a
capacity of 300 people, where the public can in particular discover the universe of plants and of the Herons’ Tree.
On the other side is the workshop and the bar/gift shop. A gangway upstairs overlooks the workshop so that
visitors can watch the creators of the company La Machine at work, and then access the Branch of the
Herons’ Tree. Another gangway leads to the Elephant boarding platform.

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THE CO-AUTHORS
OF THE MACHINES PROJECT
“When you build an object in motion, you create a living architectural
structure. Motion embodies life.”

FRANCOIS DELAROZIERE His latest production, LongMa Jing Shen, features a horse
named Dragon, and was created in 2014 for the 50th
François Delaroziere graduated from the Beaux-arts de
anniversary of diplomatic relations being established
Marseille fine arts school and founded the association,
between France and China, which was held in Beijing. Since
La Machine, in 1999. Its mission was to build sets and
then, it has been presented in Nantes, Calais and Ottawa.
machines for the theatre, as well as merry-go-rounds. As
the company’s artistic director, he has tirelessly explored
PIERRE OREFICE
the art of machines in movement and their ability to
Pierre Orefice holds a masters in economics and attended
enchant spectators.
Sciences Politiques in Paris. From 1985 to 1998, he was the
producer and administrator of Royal de Luxe, the street
In 2003, François Delaroziere and Pierre Orefice created
theatre company based in Nantes since 1989. He also
Les Machines de l’île as a way of accompanying the urban
directed the project Cargo 92. Le Cargo Melquiades-Ville de
renewal of the westernmost tip of l’Île de Nantes designed
Nantes carried on board four French theatre companies –
by architect Alexandre Chemetoff. This cultural and
Royal de Luxe, Mano Négra, Philippe Découflé and Philippe
touristic project paved the way for the “machines de villes”:
Genty – and docked at eight ports in South America.
these either mobile or permanent structures revitalize
urban space.
From 1998 to 2007, Pierre Orefice was the artistic director
In 2005, he also participated in the architectural revamping
of Manaus – an association creating and producing
of Le Channel – Calais’ state-funded theatre – alongside
events in outdoor urban spaces. As such, he was invited
Patrick Bouchain. In 2013, he created the project, “Les
by the cities of Antwerp and Nantes to coordinate their
animaux de la place” in La Roche-sur-Yon.
respective celebrations of the new millennium on the night
New projects for permanent machines would soon be
of December 31st 1999. In 2004, he created an event for
completed – first in Nantes, with the Heron Tree, which he
Nantes’ Floralies festival by building “the vegetal port of
has co-designed and built. Toulouse and Calais will also be
l’Île Feydeau,” followed by the “Embankment Gardens” in
home to new creations in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
the Ceineray basin. In 2013 – the year when Nantes was the
European Green Capital – this creation became permanent.
François Delaroziere is also a scenographer and theatre
Since 2001, Manaus has worked on the outdoor sets of the
director. As such, he was responsible for Le Grand
fictitious State of Groland, as well as the organization of
Répertoire – Machines de spectacle: a performance-
the 2004 edition of the Angoulême International Comics
exhibition featured between 2003 and 2006. Again in 2003,
Festival, where Groland was invited as guest country.
he created La Symphonie Mécanique with Mino Malan,
combining the worlds of classical music and mechanical
Co-author with François Delarozière of the Machines de
sounds. In 2008, Les Mécaniques Savantes were a world
l’île, Pierre Orefice is its director. He also is the director
exclusive in Liverpool during its year as the European
of the Nefs and the art director of the Seasons of Les
Cultural Capital. This mechanical bestiary was presented
Machines: Printemps des Nefs, Été indien aux Nefs and
the following year in Japan for the 150th anniversary of the
Noël (theater, music, circus, dance…) aux Nefs and Nantes
port of Yokohama. In 2010, a new show was born: Le Dîner
Maker Campus.
des petites mécaniques, which reinvented the culinary
He settled in the Herons’ Tree endowment fund created by
arts, while L’Expédition végétale and its crew of botanical
Nantes Métropole in 2017 in order to co-pilot the project.
scientists took flight.
Pierre Orefice was dubbed Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et
des Lettres by Aurélie Filippetti, Minister of Culture in 2013.
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A MEANINGFUL, INSPIRATIONAL
URBAN PROJECT
The Île de Nantes is a huge area undergoing redevelopment
located in the heart of the city along the banks of the Loire River.
The Machines project highlights this essential component
of Nantes history by blending technology and poetry to give it
new life.

Nantes Métropole wanted to give a new vocation to the site of the former shipyards while still
respecting its past. With the SAMOA, a public-private corporation in charge of orchestrating the
urban redevelopment of the Ile de Nantes, Nantes Métropole wanted, with the Machines project,
to create a tourist attraction with a strong arts focus in the public space. The 337-hectare Ile de
Nantes project is one of the largest urban projects in Europe. The redevelopment plan, designed
by the team of Alexandre Chemetoff, urban planner and architect, respects the principles of
sustainable development and expresses the diversity of both the population and the architecture.

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AN EXPERIENCE SPECIFIC TO NANTES
The adventure of the Machines is part of a performing arts culture that is emblematic of the
Nantes area, based on street arts that Nantes residents have become familiar with over the past
fifteen years. Today, François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice, designers-creators of the Machines
de l’île, have created a magical world using a language that Nantes residents appreciate, and
which fits in with the larger history of the industrial port city open to the sea and nourished by
dreams of far-off places. For a city is also built around the collective imagination of its people.

THE INDUSTRIAL WAREHOUSES

Located on the western tip of the Île de Nantes, across from the Quai de la Fosse, these huge iron,
concrete and steel warehouses were build in the early 20th century to house the metalworking
shops of the Chantiers de la Loire shipyards. Until their closure in 1987, they were the mainstay
of Nantes’ shipbuilding industry. The rehabilitation of the warehouses by Alexandre Chemetoff
safeguards and showcases the history of the shipyards, a symbol of the industrial and maritime
culture of Nantes. Les Machines de l’île have revived the warehouses, which have been
transformed into a new public space for the city. This layout was made possible thanks to partner
architects Nicole Concordet and Christophe Theilmann.

OVER THE PLAZA

With the opening of the Carrousel des Mondes Marins in 2012, the work on the theme of the sea,
which had begun at the inauguration, was finally complete. Supervision of the project was
once again entrusted to the two architects, based on the concept by the authors, an initial sketch,
and the studies drawn up by the company La Machine.

AN ORIGINAL ARTISTIC PROPOSAL

The episodic story of the Machines, imagined by François Delarozière and Pierre Orefice and
constructed by the company La Machine, has become part of the urban landscape, unlike a
traditional closed amusement park. This will give Nantes an urban space animated with art objects
in motion. It is one of the major elements of the attractiveness of the city. This poetic universe
appeals to the public, promotes economic development and the tourist industry, and attracts visitors
from all over the world. It is part of the trail of the Voyage à Nantes that brings together all the
richness of the city’s cultural offer and of tourist attractions.

[Link]

20 PRESS PACK 2019

 FINANCING OF THE
CONSTRUCTION
OF THE MACHINES DE L’ÎLE
Nantes Métropole, as owner of the Machines de l’île, is the main
funder of the project. This tourist and cultural attraction is part
of the dynamic urban renewal project of the Île de Nantes and is a
major draw for the metropolitan area.

FINANCING OF THE FIRST PHASE FINANCING OF THE SECOND PHASE

Total cost of the first phase: 7.7 M € Total cost of the project of Le Carrousel des Mondes
- Artistic (Gran Elefante and Galerie des Machines): Marins : 10 M €
5.2 M € - Artistic: 5.7 M €
- Construction of the company La Machine workshop - Shell and spatial planning: 4.3 M €
and the Galerie des Machines (rehabilitation of the
warehouses not included): 2.5 M € Financing shared by
Nantes Métropole: 36,5 %
Financing shared by European Union: 20 %
Nantes Métropole: 50.4 % French Government: 20 %
Pays de la Loire Region: 26.6 % Loire Atlantique department: 13,5 %
European Union: 23 % Pays de la Loire Region: 10 %

PRESS PACK 2019 21

 LE VOYAGE À NANTES
Nantes Métropole has delegated the cultural, technical and
commercial management of the attraction to the Local Public
Society Le Voyage à Nantes. Pierre Orefice is the director of the
attraction, and more than 100 employees are involved in serving
the public and operating Les Machines de l’île.

Le Voyage à Nantes is a Société Publique Locale (SPL, a local, publicly-owned corporation),

a product of the political will of both Nantes Métropole and the Ville de Nantes to begin a new
chapter and exist alongside other major French and European cities by positioning and affirming
itself as a coveted city for art and culture, the means it has chosen for its development
as a tourist destination.

Its mission is to promote the cultural project established by Nantes, and more generally by
the destination of Nantes Métropole. To this end, and what makes this structure exemplary,
is the yearly event it organizes every summer highlighting this cultural project via an urban
itinerary, where city spaces are filled with both temporary and permanent artworks.

It was decided that, as of 1st January 2011, tourism and key cultural sites would be merged
into a single structure.

Le Voyage à Nantes manages sites bellow:

• Les Machines de l’île,
• Le Château des ducs de Bretagne,
• the Memorial of the abolition of slavery,
• La HAB Galerie,
• the Parc des Chantiers,
• the permanent art collection of Estuaire Nantes <> Saint-Nazaire.

Le Voyage à Nantes brings together all the local governments of the region within its pool of
shareholders: Nantes Métropole (68%), the Ville de Nantes (18%), the Région des Pays de la Loire
(5%), the Département de Loire-Atlantique (5%), the Ville de Saint-Nazaire (3%) and the local
towns making up the Coeur d’Estuaire, Loire et Sillon and Sud Estuaire (1%). Le Voyage à Nantes,
headed by Jean Blaise, is chaired by Fabrice Roussel, Nantes Métropole Tourism Vice-Chairman.
His Vice-President is Stéphane Junique, Deputy of Heritage and Tourism for the City of Nantes.

22 PRESS PACK 2019

SPONSORS OF LES
MACHINES DE L’ÎLE

PRESS PACK 2019 23

 2019 TICKET OFFICES
OPENING DATES & TIMES
THE VISIT CONTINUES ONE HOUR AFTER TICKET OFFICES CLOSING-TIME

From saturday 9 From Monday 26 August

to Sunday 24 February: 7 days a week to Sunday 1 September: 7 days a week
• Monday to Sunday: 14.00 to 18.00 • Monday to Sunday: 10.00 to 18.00

From Monday 25 February From Monday 2 September

to Friday 1 March: 7 days a week to Sunday 20 October: 6 days a week
• Monday to Sunday: 14.00 to 17.00 • Tuesday to Friday: 10.00 to 17.00
• Saturday and Sunday: 10.00 to 18.00
From Saturday 2 March
to Friday 5 April: 6 days a week From Monday 21 October
• Tuesday to Friday: 14.00 to 17.00 to Sunday 3 November: 7 days a week
• Saturday and Sunday: 14.00 to 18.00 • Monday to Sunday: 10.00 to 18.00

From Saturday 6 to Monday 22 April: 7 From Monday 4 November

days a week to Sunday 22 December: 6 days a week
• Monday to Sunday: 10.00 to 18.00 • Tuesday to Friday: 14.00 to 17.00
• Saturday and Sunday (+ Monday 11
From Tuesday 23 April November): 14.00 to 18.00
to Sunday 12 May: 7 days a week
• Monday to Friday: 10.00 to 17.00 From Monday 23 December
• Saturday and Sunday: 10.00 to 18.00 to Sunday 5 January: 6 days a week
Closed on Wednesday 1 May • Tuesday: 14.00 to 17.00
• Monday then Thursday to Sunday: 14.00 to
From Monday 13 May 18.00
to Sunday 30 June: 6 days a week Closed on Wednesday 25 december
• Tuesday to Friday: 10.00 to 17.00
• Saturday and Sunday (+ Thursday 30, Friday Annual Closing: from 6 January to 7
31 may and Monday 10 June): 10.00 to 18.00 February 2020

From Monday 1 July to Sunday 7 July: 6 Maintenances:

days a week • From 24 to 28 June and from 2 to 6
• Tuesday to Sunday: 10.00 to 18.00 september: no Grand Eléphant rides
• From 9 to 13 september: no access to the
From Monday 8 July to Friday 31 August: 7 Carrousel des Mondes marins
days a week
• Monday to Sunday: 10.00 to 19.00

24 PRESS PACK 2019

 THE MACHINES DE L’ÎLE ARE ACTIVELY
PARTICIPATING IN SAVING ELEPHANTS
To guarantee that our Grand Elephant won’t be the only one left on
the planet in a hundred years, we (and our visitors...) are supporting
the association Des Éléphants & Des Hommes. Since 2003, this
French NGO has been working to conserve elephants as well as
their natural environment in both Africa and Asia. Improving the
coexistence between humans and elephants is at the heart of their
activity. From 2018 to 2020, our support will focus on the centre’s
nursery and their work to create Laos’ first national wild elephant
reserve. For the following 3 years, an African country will be selected.
Every 3 years, the Machines de l’île and their visitors will commit to
carrying out concrete actions in Asia or Africa.
Since February 2018, Les Machines de l’île have offered visitors the
chance to donate to the association by rounding up the price of their
tickets to the next euro.

INFORMATIONS
& PRICES
NON-STOP TICKET SALES, DURING THE TICKET OFFICE OPENING HOURS,
WITHIN THE LIMIT OF THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE PLACES

WAREHOUSES TICKET OFFICE

GRAND ÉLÉPHANT RIDES INDIVIDUAL PRICES

Non-stop ticket sale for the same day VISIT OF THE GALERIE
Some rides can be booked : OR GRAND ÉLÉPHANT RIDE
Full price : 8,50€ (with this ticket, 1,60€ discount
[Link] on the full price at the Galerie - with a 48 hours
or validity period)

Discounted price: 6,90€*

White Card price: 5,50€*

GALERIE DES MACHINES
Non-stop ticket sales and access, Free : < 4 years old and the disabled people’s adult
immediate entry helper
Animated visit.
Family price : valid for the same day
• 30,20€ for 1 adult and 4 young people (4-17
years old)
• 31,80€ for 2 adults and 3 young people (4-17
years old)

————————————————————————

* Disabled visitors, 4-17 years old, students, unemployed please

provide proof

PRESS PACK 2019 25

INFORMATIONS
& PRICES
NON-STOP TICKET SALES, DURING THE TICKET OFFICE OPENING HOURS, WITHIN THE
LIMIT OF THE NUMBER OF AVAILABLE PLACES

CARROUSEL DES MONDES

MARINS TICKET OFFICE
Non-stop ticket sales and access,
immediate entry.
FAIRGROUND MODE Exploration without a ride
Fairground mode with possibility to do ride(s): Full price: 6,30€
Wednesday afternoons from 14.00, every week- (with this ticket, 1,60€ discount on the full price
end and during French school holidays at the Galerie - with a 48 hours validity period)
Discounted price: 5,30€*
DISCOVERY MODE Free: < 4 years old and the disabled visitor’s
Discovery mode animated visit: adult helper
Tuesdays, Wednesday mornings, Thursdays
and Fridays during French school terms.
DISCOVERY MODE
INDIVIDUAL PRICES Full price: 6,90€
CARROUSEL DES MONDES MARINS (with this ticket, 1,60€ discount on the full price
at the Galerie - with a 48 hours validity period)
FAIRGROUND MODE
Exploration with a ride Free: < 4 years old and the disabled visitor’s
adult helper
Full price: 8,50€
(with this ticket, 1,60€ discount on the full price Family price: 24 hours of validity
at the Galerie - with a 48 hours validity period). 28.60€ for 1 adult and for young people
(4-17 years old) or 2 adults and 3 young
Discounted price: 6,90€* / 3€
people (4-17 years old).
(from 1 to 3 years old and the disabled visitor’s
————————————————————————
adult helper). * Disabled visitors / 4-17 years old, students, unemployed

Free : < 1 year old please provide proof

Additional ride: 3€
Family price : valable le jour même
• 30,20€ for 1 adult and 4 young people
(4-17 years old)
• 31,80€ for 2 adults and 3 young people
(4-17 years old)

26 PRESS PACK 2019

INFORMATIONS & PRICES

ACCESSIBILITY
Galerie and Carrousel des Mondes Marins:
accessible to disabled people
Grand Éléphant ride:
1 disabled place is possible per ride.

————————————————————————

PASSES
Pass Ambassadeur : 38€
nominative - unlimited access to the Galerie
and to the Carrousel (without ride)
1 Éléphant ride – 5% discount at the gift shop
valid for 1 year.

[PASS] Nantes: sold at Nantes Tourisme

not sold on site; does not enable to skip queues
1 free access to the Galerie (or to the Carrousel)
and 1,60€ discount on the full price ticket at
the Carrousel (or the Galerie).

————————————————————————

METHODS OF PAYMENT

———————————————————————

PRESS PACK 2019 27

PARC DES CHANTIERS
BD LÉON BUREAU
44200 NANTES

FOR ABROAD CALLS: +33 251 17 49 89

CONTACT@[Link]
[Link]

LE CARROUSEL LA GALERIE
DES MONDES DES MACHINES
MARINS

Tramway line 1: tram stop « Chantiers Navals »

PRESS CONTACT: EUGÉNIE BARDET

Tél: 02 72 65 30 13 – Mobile: 06 45 03 66 82
[Link]@[Link]
COVER, P. 9: STEPHAN MUNTANER
Le Voyage à Nantes – 1-3 rue Crucy DRAWINGS P. 8, 10: FRANÇOIS DELAROZIÈRE
MAPS P. 16: JEAN-BENOÎT HÉRON
BP 92211 – 44022 Nantes cedex 1 PHOTOS: F. TOMPS, J.D. BILLAUD, [Link] / LVAN