Jullouville (FR)

SITE / CONTEXT

Jullouville, located in the Manche department, developed primarily as a seaside resort in the late 19th century. Classified as a tourist resort,
it benefits from the appeal of Granville and its proximity to the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. Today, this tourism-driven dynamic is both an asset and a challenge: while the town’s population of 2,401 multiplies tenfold in peak season, it also faces a high proportion of second homes, property prices nearly twice the departmental average, and an aging demographic. To counter this trend, the municipality aims to strengthen year-round activities.
Numerous designations and agreements attest to the site’s exceptional character on multiple levels. Jullouville lies within the buffer zone of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its coastline and the natural areas surrounding Bouillon Pond—largely acquired by the Conservatoire du Littoral—are protected under Natura 2000, ZNIEFF, and Ramsar classifications (as shown in the colored zones on the map).
In 1934, the commune of Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine established a vacation camp on a prime 4.1-hectare site. Jullouville later acquired the site, which includes the camp, a former infirmary built of concrete and brick, and the Château de la Mare, a granite building dating from 1907. Together, these structures form the project site. Their architecture has shaped the identity of the area, now positioned at the intersection of the coastline, the urban fabric, and Bouillon Pond—an exceptional protected natural environment.
The western coastline of the English Channel is increasingly exposed to marine erosion and submersion due to rising sea levels in the coming decades. The site is also subject to low-risk flooding from the Thar River (marked in blue on the map). Other effects of climate change are already visible in Jullouville, including summer overheating, prolonged droughts, and the risk of heavy rainfall causing soil erosion. Our ambition is to develop a sustainable project that fully integrates these challenges.

QUESTIONS TO THE COMPETITORS

The competition for the former Jullouville vacation camp site aims to bring the site and its buildings back to life by proposing a program that complements the city’s tourism-oriented identity with year-round sustainable activities. The challenge is to create new dynamics on this site that will contribute more broadly to the transformation of the town, which oscillates between periods of intense tourism and significant seasonal vacancy of housing.
How can this dormant site initiate a process of permanent and accessible activities with a territorial impact? How can an urban transformation process be set in motion, envisioning mixed-use scenarios, and who can carry these projects forward?
Another key objective is to preserve the site’s qualities and challenges. The Bouillon pond, an ecological reserve, requires a careful and mindful approach, acknowledging its role as a habitat for both flora and fauna. Competing teams will need to consider the site’s relationship with water in its various forms, from the Thar River and the coastline to the tidal zone, as well as the minor risks associated with rising sea levels and marine submersion from the Thar estuary. How can an abandoned site be reactivated in harmony with the natural reserve while addressing the town’s environmental vulnerabilities?
The architectural quality of buildings must be understood and integrated into conceptual responses to reinvest in them. How can we prepare renovation operations that respect what already exists?