Architectural competition 2004 (≈ 2004)
Win Stefano Boeri for the project.
2010-2013
Construction
Construction 2010-2013 (≈ 2012)
Final cost: EUR 73 million.
7 avril 2013
Initial Inauguration
Initial Inauguration 7 avril 2013 (≈ 2013)
Open to the public in June 2013.
janvier 2018
Temporary closure
Temporary closure janvier 2018 (≈ 2018)
For conversion and repairs.
2019
Sealing work
Sealing work 2019 (≈ 2019)
Cost: EUR 6.4 million.
4 juin 2022
Museum reopening
Museum reopening 4 juin 2022 (≈ 2022)
Inauguration of the Cosquer Mediterranean Museum.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Key figures
Stefano Boeri - Architect
Manufacturer of the building and its fake door.
Henri Cosquer - Discoverer diver
Discoverer of the eponymous cave replicated.
Origin and history
The Villa Méditerranée is a public building inaugurated on 7 April 2013 in the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille, on the J4 esplanade, in the heart of the Mediterranean perimeter. Designed by Italian architect Stefano Boeri, its construction (2010-2013) cost €73 million, well over the initial budget of €20 million. The building, which is owned by the Provence-Alpes-Côte d的Azur region, is distinguished by its 40-metre (world-wide) false door, suspended 19 metres above a basin. Initially intended for conferences and exhibitions on the Mediterranean, its usefulness was questioned due to security constraints limiting its capacity to host.
The architecture of the Mediterranean Villa rests on a symbolic opening towards the sea, with a submerged base 2.25 meters below the sea level. It includes an agora, a 400-seat amphitheater, and an atrium of 350 m2 equipped with a 25-metre projection wall. Despite its cultural ambition, the project was criticized for its cost and lack of attendance, leading to its closure in January 2018. Watertight problems detected in 2019 required €6.4 million of repairs prior to its conversion.
Since 4 June 2022, the Villa Méditerranée houses the Cosquer Mediterranean Museum, a replica of the Paleolithic cave discovered by Henri Cosquer. This project, which has a budget of €23 million, aims to attract 400,000 visitors annually. The site is managed by the AViTeM (Agence des villes et territoires méditerranéans durables), a grouping of public interest including the Region, Marseille Provence Métropole and other communities. The building, often nicknamed "white elephant" or "scraper" for its design, now embodies a major cultural and tourist bet for Marseille.
The annual budget of the Villa Méditerranée amounts to €4.4 million, with a permanent staff of 40. Controversies about its cost (criticized by the Regional Court of Auditors in 2017) and its usefulness have marked its history, notably during the 2015 regional elections. Despite these controversies, his conversion into a museum seems to offer him a second life, rooted in prehistoric heritage and museum innovation.
