Closure of shipyards 1987 (≈ 1987)
Decommissioning of the Dubigeon site.
Juin 2004
Project launch
Project launch Juin 2004 (≈ 2004)
Decision of Nantes Métropole after Delarozière's proposal.
30 juin 2007
Site Inauguration
Site Inauguration 30 juin 2007 (≈ 2007)
Open to the public with the Grand Elephant.
2012
Opening of the Carrousel des Mondes Marins
Opening of the Carrousel des Mondes Marins 2012 (≈ 2012)
Giant ride after delays and extra costs.
Septembre 2023
Dropping the Tree with Herons
Dropping the Tree with Herons Septembre 2023 (≈ 2023)
Flagship project cancelled for budgetary reasons.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
François Delarozière - Artistic Director
Creator of Machines and Machine.
Pierre Orefice - Co-founder
Associated with Delarozière for the project.
Johanna Rolland - Mayor of Nantes (2021)
Announcement of the new Heron Tree project.
Origin and history
The Island Machines are an artistic and tourist project born in 2004 under the impetus of Nantes Métropole, in collaboration with La Machine company led by François Delarozière. Located on the Île de Nantes, in the former naves of Dubigeon shipyards (disused in 1987), the site combines mechanical universe, living spectacle and industrial heritage. Inaugurated in 2007, he offers creations inspired by Jules Verne and Leonardo da Vinci, such as the Grand Elephant or the Carrousel des Mondes Marins, attracting almost 300,000 visitors from his first year.
The initial project, which was budgeted at EUR 4.8 million, incurred additional costs (6 million in 2007) and public grants, including 1.785 million via the European Objective 2 programme. Managed by Le Voyage à Nantes, the site remains in deficit despite increasing attendance (665,000 visitors in 2016). The Machines include a public-visible construction workshop where wooden and steel structures are created, such as the Sea Snake (2011) or the Spider (2016).
Among the flagship achievements, the Grand Elephant (12 m high, 48 tons), capable of carrying 52 passengers, symbolizes the project's ambition. The Carrousel des Mondes Marins (25 m high, 300 passengers), inaugurated in 2012 after delays and a judicial investigation for favouritism, completes the offer. The untabooti project of the Arbre aux Herons (€52.4 million estimated), abandoned in 2023 after feasibility studies and a crowdfunding campaign (€373,525 collected), illustrates the financial and urban challenges of the site.
The space regularly enriches new machines (spider, hummingbird, chameleon) exhibited in the Gallery of Machines, where machinists and visitors interact. The Island Machines, awarded at the International Tourism Fair (2007) and by a Thea Award, are part of the urban renewal of Nantes Island, while celebrating the industrial and creative heritage of the city.
The site, accessible via Norwegian transport, attracts a family and international audience. Despite continuing budgetary difficulties, it embodies a unique fusion between art, mechanics and heritage, while questioning the economic models of ambitious cultural projects. The abandonment of the Arbre aux Hérons in 2023 marks a turning point, refocusing the project on its existing achievements and their sustainability.
