The architectural audacity that changed the Var coastline
Denise Spoerry, privileged witness of the architectural epic of François Spoerry, answers questions from La Gazette du Var (Part 1).
In the 1960s, in the heart of the Var coastline, a visionary architect imagined a lakeside city inspired by Venise: Port-Grimaud. Built without banking support, driven by a passion for sailing and the audacity of one man, this city on water became a realized utopia. Denise Spoerry, a direct witness to this adventure, looks back on the early days of the construction site, the personality of François Spoerry, and the legacy of soft architecture.
in the face of ambient skepticism required the same courage.
In hindsight, what do you think is the secret to this success?
DS. Two elements: the passion of a visionary architect, and a virgin site offering the freedom to recreate a Venetian lagoon in Provence.
A youth at the heart of the construction site
How did you get involved in the adventure?
DS. In 1968, friends from the École des Beaux-Arts de Mulhouse invited me to join them in Port Grimaud in the south of France on an architectural project. I discovered the beginnings: a few houses, a canal, some plans. I knew I could never do anything as strong. I settled down, and I never left.
What was the atmosphere like on the construction site?
DS. It was excitement, celebration, speed. People came, curious, but there was nothing to sell yet.
We told them: "It will be ready in a year or two." It was playful, holidays, pleasure, boats...
As for me, I fell in love with Port-Grimaud.
François Spoerry, the man behind the dream
Who was François Spoerry?
DS. An Alsatian architect, passionate about sailing, he dreamed of a private port for his boat. During a lunch in Cavalaire, a friend told him about a swampy plot of land. At 4 p.m., they went to see it, and François signed the preliminary sales agreement right after. He had a vision: the lagoon of Venise. The swampy and sandy land was 30 hectares, unused.
How did the administration receive this revolutionary project?
DS. Before 1968, it was a path strewn with obstacles. Convincing decision-makers that a port city could be born on swamps had no precedent in France. François, young and a survivor of concentration camps, insisted on his vision. He inspired trust despite the audacity of the project he was self-funding. He lobbied the ministries until a senior official named Théobald believed in him and helped him obtain the building permit on June 14, 1966.
Do you think his past in the Resistance influenced this audacity?
DS. Absolutely. Committed to the Resistance, deported, he had survived the extreme. Taking risks had become natural to him. To persevere
by interpreting the colors of provençale architecture."
A philosophy that shines
Did he pursue projects elsewhere?
DS. Yes, in Hyères near the salt marshes, everything was signed and the project was blocked by a change of government. In Guadeloupe, he was studying a lakeside city. He also worked in Égypte, Turquie, Asie, New York... There was more freedom there.
A soft and living architecture
How was the architectural design conceived?
DS. Everything was designed in Mulhouse, in his offices with the precious help of several collaborators, one of whom, Armand Spiegel, is still present. François thought in terms of life infrastructure, in the style of
A city for living together
And on the security front?
DS. Port-Grimaud is a peaceful place. I would be
came. This is not Disney, but a real attraction.
Port-Grimaud is not a simple real estate project, it is a dream anchored in the golfe de Saint-Tropez. A rejection of concrete, and a faith in living together. And thanks to those who built it, it continues to sail in the hearts of visitors and residents. François Spoerry knew how to combine art, audacity, and humanism. His work continues to inspire far beyond the Var coastline.
A battle over the name: the INPI decides
A final episode sheds light on the tensions between the commune of Grimaud and the representative bodies of Port-Grimaud: the decision of the INPI to cancel the trademarks "Port Grimaud"
American "landscaping". He had a vision of a town with all that it entails.
Is this vision embodied in a neo-provençal style?
DS. Yes. He even wrote a book "L'Architecture douce", of which here is an excerpt: "The particular atmosphere in Port-Grimaud, which gives it a sort of durability, comes from this solidarity with the constructions of past centuries, but also from the systematic use of low-slope roofs, Roman tiles in pastel tones, génoises that dominate all constructions, and renders whose range of ochres and straw yellows has over time become an enchantment. We used
curious to see the police reports since its creation: I doubt there have been many assaults.
Was the proximity to Saint-Tropez strategic?
DS. Of course. François knew that he had to be near an attractive place and an airport. He was investing his own money; they had to sell, and quickly.
What memory do you keep of its influence?
DS. I remember a market in Mexique, in 1972. They sold T-shirts marked "Saint-Tropez", others "Brigitte Bardot" and "Port-Grimaud". Japanese, Chinese
registered by the commune. Seised by the representatives of Port-Grimaud, the INPI considered that these filings had been made in bad faith. According to the Institute, the commune attempted to appropriate a territorial and commercial identity that did not belong to it. This administrative decision sends a strong signal: the hijacking of an iconic name, linked to a specific history and local governance, cannot be done without respecting prior rights. It symbolically restores the legitimacy of Port-Grimaud to use its own name.