France's urban beaches

Since 2001, people in France no longer have to endure endless holiday traffic jams to get a seaside tan: that's because the beach now comes to them... The resounding success of "Paris Plage", the City of Light's summertime beach event, has inspired many other municipalities to set up temporary beach zones at the heart of the city, and summer events styled on "Paris Plage" are popping up everywhere!

During the famous protests in France in 1968, students marched in the streets of Paris, brandishing banners with the slogan "under the cobblestones, the beach!" Some thirty years later, their wish has finally been granted (somewhat): the former protesters have found the beach - only not under the city's cobblestones.

Since 2001, on the initiative of Bertrand Delanoe, the mayor of Paris, a maritime breeze now sweeps through France's capital city every summer, beckoning Parisians young and old to come relax at "Paris Plage", the giant beach created along the banks of the Seine.

A couple tonnes of sand, some blue and white pin-striped cabanas, volleyball courts, beach chairs and a few extra, amenities - such as water sprays to keep everybody cool - and presto! Every year, the banks of the Seine are magically transformed into the perfect sea resort: much to the delight of the city's three million "beachgoers" who immediately lay claim to an area generally reserved for automobiles.

This astoundingly simple recipe for success was created by Jean-Christophe Choblet and Sylvie Del Perico, two stage designers from the agency Nez Haut. Together, they have created a beach utopia just steps away from the Eiffel Tower, with new surprises in store every year!

From the north to the south of France, many cities are following Paris in creating a sun-kissed atmosphere for their inhabitants, right on their doorsteps. For instance, in Saint-Quentin (just north of Paris), from 10 July to 15 August, over 1,800 tonnes of sand will be used to turn the town hall square into the "Town Hall Beach", covering some 3,000 square meters.

And to make the illusion even truer to life, the planners have added two large 60 cm - to 1.10 m deep swimming pools, 300 palm and bamboo trees, a dozen beach cabanas replete with lounge chairs and beach umbrellas, as well as thatched huts. Music will be piped in the background to give the "Town Hall Beach" its final touch of authenticity.

In Toulouse, European capital of aeronautics and cassoulet (a culinary speciality from the southwest of France), the city's Exhibition Centre, located on the banks of the Garonne, has been requisitioned every year since 2003 as the venue for the 240 m long "Toulouse Cote Plage", with the beach's white and Caribbean atmosphere offering a lovely contrast to the red bricks of the city's Place du Capitole.

The underlying principle of these beach zones appears to be the same everywhere. While the idea itself is simple enough, the key to the success of France's "urban coastlines" is meticulous staging. From Begles, Brive, Besancon and Clamart to Clermont-Ferrand, every beach is "staged" according to the specific features of the site as well as the general public's expectations. Both in Paris and Toulouse, one of the main success factors is the urban beachgoers' ability to immediately claim these urban stage sets and become the lead actors.

Indeed, the cities set the scene, but the users bring the beaches to life by setting their towels on the sand, lounging in the beach chairs for a quick siesta or tanning session, donning swimsuits and running onto the beach-volleyball courts to play a game or two with another group of strangers, or sipping a refreshing beverage in the cool shade of a straw hut. In short, the urban beaches provide a free "hang out" (zero cost is another success factor), as well as an idealised holiday spot and the opportunity to reclaim an area often overrun by automobiles the rest of the year.

What's more, since its launch in 2001, the "Paris Plage" concept has done some travelling and is well on its way to winning over the rest of Europe: in Berlin and Budapest, visitors have already been able to kick off their shoes for a relaxing walk in the sand - and are getting ready for more of the same this summer - Happy holidays to all!

Bruno Gimmig

Website www.nezhaut.com - Actualite En France