As a belated tribute to architect Le Corbusier (1887–1965), representative of the modernist movement that advocates purity of lines and functionalism (the form of a building should be determined by its function), the architectural complex that houses the PORT TONIC ART CENTER incorporates the five principles of construction that form the pillars of his architecture:

1/ Construction on stilts frees up ground space from land constraints, reserving these spaces for vehicle parking.

2/ In the absence of traditional sloping roofs, the roof terrace welcomes you as a solarium, a vantage point from which to observe the immensity of the sea, and an architectural promenade passing from one building to another via a walkway that makes extensive use of the simple, straight geometric lines of the railings.

3/ The use of reinforced concrete allows for large bay windows in the exhibition hall, as the facades are no longer load-bearing. These strip windows allow maximum light to enter.

4/ The absence of load-bearing walls following an open plan has made it possible to build the bare floor of the exhibition hall, which can be arranged according to the needs or desires of the exhibition.

5/ Finally, the free façades are now nothing more than lightweight walls, windows or bay windows.

In a nod to the decorative elements of the Villa de Mandrot, built by Le Corbusier in the same department of Var (Le Prader), exterior stone masonry walls are supported by reinforced concrete walls.

Le Corbusier’s artistry is evident in the contrasts between materials: concrete, local millstone masonry, bricks, trellises, etc.

PORT TONIC is a complex of buildings designed for the maintenance, repair and storage of boats. Built over a period of more than ten years, PORT TONIC is a complex whose architectural language follows the functionalist precepts of the modern movement, namely: form follows function.

The architectural ensemble also incorporates several of the « five points of a new architecture » dictated by Le Corbusier in 1927:

• the roof terrace: abandoning the traditional sloping roof in favour of a useful roof space and the expression of simple volumetry.
• The open plan: load-bearing walls are eliminated thanks to reinforced concrete column-slab structures, which free up space and allow for interior partitions that are independent of the structure.
• The ribbon window, also made possible by column-slab structures, which eliminate the need for lintels.

A total of three buildings were constructed between 1959 and 1971, following a rational construction logic that established PORT TONIC as part of modern architectural heritage.

 

 

A STAGED INTEGRATION INTO THE COASTAL LANDSCAPE

The first building was constructed in 1959 at the end of a small south-east facing cove. Its two-storey structure resembles a ship with its bow facing the sea. The lower floor houses a workshop that opens onto the beach via a large door allowing boats to enter. Upstairs, an apartment with a terrace overlooking the sea provides accommodation for the owner.

Access to the workshop and the beach was via a hillside path, which would also serve future buildings.

In 1960, the upper part of the site was converted into a boat storage area.

Between 1960 and 1966, the shipyard expanded, with the quay and two additional buildings constructed and accessed via the northern hillside access road:

*A three-storey building, built on the side of a rock perpendicular to the coast, became the central building of the operation.

It is a parallelepiped 7.20m wide by 26m long. In height, it rises from the quay to the Corniche des Issambres.

The first two levels are partially embedded in the ground and can only be seen from the quay.

The ground floor is accessible from its south façade facing the sea.

The first floor is accessible from its north and south ends.

The second level is accessible from its long east façade along its entire length.

The roof is accessible from the east façade via a walkway connected to the third building and from its south end via a staircase that connects all levels to the quay.

• The third building is also constructed perpendicular to the coast. Its proportions are similar to those of the central volume (24m by 7.20m) and it is organised on two levels used for storage.

The semi-underground ground floor is located on the same level and opposite the second level of the central building.

The first floor is accessible from its east façade at the level of the Corniche des Issambres.

The building has a north gable wall and a south-west corner in stone masonry, introducing a more vernacular architecture that could be seen as a nod to the Villa de Mandrot, built by Le Corbusier in Le Pradet (Var).

• These two buildings are connected by a footbridge whose curved profile elegantly compensates for the difference in height between the slab levels.

In 1968, a new storage space was created by excavating 900m² of land to the east of the previous building and constructing a concrete slab of the same surface area.

In 1971, offices resembling a ship’s bridge were added to the roof of the central building. This new structure, this time with a metal frame, has posts integrated into the frames of the sloping bay windows above a blue glazed mosaic base. Here, the architecture departs from the purely functional vocabulary of the shipyard and evokes the equally functional vocabulary of ocean liners, a great source of inspiration for modern architects of the time. This metaphorical language is reminiscent of that used for the construction of the first building in 1959 and creates a visual landmark from both the road and the sea.

These buildings will give the complex a façade on the corniche, and the adoption of a rational construction system common to all the buildings in the complex will inscribe PORT TONIC in the modern heritage of the Var coastline.

AN EXCEPTIONAL CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM



Reinforced concrete was chosen as the construction material in order to maximise the complex’s span and storage capacity while ensuring durability in the marine environment. As with most modern buildings, the concrete will simply be painted white.

 

The « column/slab » construction system ensures savings in terms of construction and space.

These choices give PORT TONIC its character and unity.

The columns are simple, with square or rectangular cross-sections and chamfered corners.

 

The use of concrete slabs was a deliberate choice, repeated on each building to ensure consistency, uniformity and harmony throughout the complex:



* Factory-prefabricated concrete boxes are placed on the slab formwork, serving as permanent formwork.

This results in a lighter slab, as each module is hollowed out to use only the amount of concrete necessary to achieve a stable structure.

The arrangement of these boxes allows for large floor areas where the load is distributed evenly.

 

Generally, the standard shape of hollow core slabs has a simple orthogonal geometry, either square or rectangular. However, the boxes used at PORT TONIC have a completely surprising shape, a cross shape with rounded corners, giving them the appearance of four-leaf clovers.

 

This very particular shape is probably the result of technical considerations: concrete coating thickness in a marine environment, ergonomics for handling the elements, stability of the module after formwork removal, etc.

 

The height of the module is adapted to the required span: thus, the caissons used in the workshop are deeper (33 cm for an 11 m span) than those in the central building and the rear building (14.5 cm for a 7.20 m span).



In any case, these slabs create a unique decorative pattern that now characterises the site.

 

Pour pouvoir libérer les portées et la capacité de stockage du complexe tout en offrant une durabilité face à l’environnement marin, le béton armé est choisi comme matériau de construction. Comme la plupart des bâtiments modernes, le béton sera simplement peint en blanc.

 

Le système constructif de type “poteaux/dalle” assure une économie constructive et spatiale.

Ces choix donnent à PORT TONIC son caractère et son unité.

Les poteaux sont simples, de section carrée ou rectangulaire, chanfreinés aux angles.

 

La mise en œuvre des dalles en béton a fait l’objet d’un choix particulier, répété sur chaque bâtiment et assurant cohérence, homogénéité et harmonie à l’ensemble bâti :

 

* des caissons en béton, préfabriqués en usine, sont disposés sur le coffrage de la dalle, servant de coffrage perdu.

Ils permettent d’obtenir une dalle plus légère car chaque module est évidé pour n’utiliser que la quantité de béton nécessaire à l’obtention d’une structure stable.

L’agencement de ces caissons permet d’obtenir de grandes surfaces de plancher où les efforts sont répartis de manière homogène.

 

Généralement, la forme standard des dalles alvéolaires possède une géométrie orthogonale simple, carrée ou rectangulaire. Cependant, les caissons utilisés à PORT TONIC ont une forme totalement surprenante, une forme en croix dont les angles ont été arrondis, ce qui leurs donnent des airs de trèfle à quatre feuilles.

 

Cette forme bien particulière est probablement issue d’une logique technique:  épaisseur d’enrobage du béton en milieu marin, ergonomie pour la manutention des éléments, stabilité du module après décoffrage…

 

La hauteur du module est adaptée à la portée nécessaire : ainsi, les caissons utilisés dans l’atelier ont une profondeur plus importante (33cm pour une portée 11m) que ceux dans le bâtiment central et le bâtiment arrière (14,5cm pour une portée de 7,20m).

 

En tout état de cause, ces dalles créent un motif décoratif inédit qui caractérise aujourd’hui le lieu.