An Elisava Research team presents the European rescue ship project ‘Navire Avenir’ in Marseille
A team from Elisava Research formed by Roger Paez, Manuela Valtchanova and Saúl Baeza, travelled to Marseille in late June to publicly present the collective project ‘Navire Avenir’ (NA), the first European rescue ship to be made available to those who save lives in the Mediterranean.
The event, where architects, designers, artists, lawyers, students and researchers from around fifty schools have participated, has had the active involvement and participation of the first deputy mayor of Marseille, Michèle Rubirola, and the historic mayor of Palermo, Leoluca Orlando.
These activities, which have been hosted at the MUCEM, close the second phase of the project, have counted with the collaboration of around fifty international universities and research centres. Among them we can find the Elisava team, integrated byr Roger Paez (coordinator), Manuela Valtchanova, Toni Montes, Marc Aliart, Ber Arce, Saúl Baeza, several Elisava Alumni from COM Elisava programs and students of Elisava’s Master in Ephemeral Architecture and Temporary Spaces(MEATS).
However, this second phase of the project, of an exploratory and speculative nature, has resulted in the publication Portable Public Space, which collects the work done from Elisava.
The first phase of this initiative, which comprised the years 2020-2021, centred on the boat’s conceptualization and preproject, the first in a European fleet designed specifically for high sea rescue, a 67 meters long and 22,5 meters wide catamaran.
In a few months the third phase, which is more technical and pragmatic, will be launched and will culminate in 2024. Its aim is to provide concrete proposals for the design, technical development and construction of the rescue ship, which is currently in a preliminary draft phase.
The NA project has been coordinated by political scientist Sébastien Thiéry, PEROU member in collaboration with Marc Van Peteghem / VPLPdesign, Atelier Marc Ferrand, Laurence Perrillat, Nicolas Détrie, Elsa Ricq-Amour, Caroline Gillet, Aurélien De Bolster, Wilfried Meynet, Civic City, SOS Méditerranée, Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Marseille, Pilotes Volontaires and Europe Mare Nostrum.
