Upside-down Art

I’m at the Port Vieux Pavilion in Marseille, France, rotating my video camera up and around and down over its highly-polished mirrored canopy surface, giving a slightly disconcerting effect as we return to earth right-side up.

This old French port in an elongated bay, is the historic heart of Marseille. For centuries it was an important center of trade. But over time the area became crowded with boats and other materials and it became increasingly inaccessible to locals and tourists alike, cutting it off from the life of the city.

In 1983 a complete revitalization of the harbor was completed, transforming the area into a much more tourist-friendly space. And along with major landscaping and traffic-flow improvements, the eye-catchingly surreal Port Vieux Pavilion canopy was unveiled as the alluring centerpiece to all the activity.

Measuring nearly 150 feet (46 meters) long – which is half the size of a football field – the canopy is made of highly polished stainless steel meant to reflect people and the surrounding harbor environment. It also intensifies the ever-changing quality of light throughout the day and evening. The project has been compared to Anish Kapoor’s famous Cloud Gate in Chicago.

The look is minimal, yet effective – the lightweight steel structure appearing as a simple silver line on the horizon. It provides a sheltered space for events on the eastern edge of the port. With six slender pillars supporting its razor-thin profile, the polished canopy amplifies and reflects the surrounding movement, creating a spectacle that encourages pedestrians to linger. The columns may seem delicate, but they withstand the northwesterly wind known as the Mistral.
All-in-all, just like “the bean” in Chicago, the Port Vieux Pavilion is a photographer’s playground.