To meet its needs for growth, the city is used to employing bold solutions: high-rise construction, offshore extension projects and the continuous upgrading of existing infrastructure. These dynamics attract the best international architects, who are tasked with designing buildings capable of combining aesthetics, environmental performance and functionality.
Since the nineteenth century, when Monte-Carlo was created on the Spélugues plateau, Monaco has been synonymous with regeneration and modernity. The idea behind the Hotel de Paris and Hotel Hermitage was to offer establishments “that surpass anything that has been created before”. The celebrated French architect Charles Garnier, who had recently completed the Opéra de Paris, designed an extension to the Casino: the Salle Garnier, a red-and-gold Italianate theatre built in the Second Empire style. To create the roof structure of this miniature replica of the Opéra de Paris, he used iron beams designed by Gustave Eiffel, father of the eponymous tower and the internal structure of the Statue of Liberty…
Similarly, a century and a half later, in a bid to rejuvenate Place du Casino, the One Monte-Carlo project was entrusted to Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, one of the leading names in contemporary architecture and urban development (who worked with Renzo Piano to design the Centre Georges Pompidou and won the Pritzker Prize in 2007). One Monte-Carlo is now known for its sleek, harmonious lines, just like La Petite Afrique building, also located in the Carré d’Or district and designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld, who is famous for his ability to incorporate nature within his buildings. Then there is the recent project by Jean Nouvel, Villa Belgica, which combines the Belle Epoque style with minimalism.
Meanwhile, the iconic and exuberant architecture of the Simona building is the product of the imagination of Jean-Pierre Lott, “who has achieved the feat of imposing his mesh double rocket on the landscape,” notes architectural historian Philippe Hugron. Jean-Pierre Lott also designed Monaco’s Villa Troglodyte and Stella buildings, the latter being home to the IUM.
Finally, Mareterra, an entire neighbourhood reclaimed from the sea, was designed by Renzo Piano and Valode & Pistre. This offshore extension covering six hectares illustrates Monaco’s ambition when it comes to innovation and eco-friendly urban development. The new buildings incorporate sustainable materials, innovative energy technology and green spaces, with everything built on artificial structures that strive to protect marine ecosystems as far as possible. The offshore extension led by Renzo Piano thus features buildings with a low carbon footprint and a network of green transport options.
Delivered in late 2024, A Fighera (“fig tree” in Monegasque) is the first wooden building in the Principality. Designed by the studio Bellecour, which was behind France’s tallest skyscraper in Bordeaux, this tower was built without cranes, thanks to the Upbrella system – a first for Europe. The process involves starting with construction of the roof, building a slab to a height of 80 cm, then lifting it, floor by floor, using a freight elevator.
