Fontvieille Commercial Centre has begun its journey towards a futuristic eco-restyling.

Monaco's main commercial hub was born from a pioneering project that had revolutionised the urban plan of the Principality in the early 90's. The Centre Commercial de Fontvieille (Fontvieille Commercial Centre), point of reference for Monegasques and visitors, is subject to an ambitious restyling project by Socri Reim Group that will transform it by 2029. The Gouvernement Princier (Prince's Government), in partnership with the Department of Finance and Economy, has recently confirmed its willingness to continue this urban modernisation in order to bring up to date and reinforce the attractiveness of Monaco's economic and social structure.

On the 24th July 2025, the renewal process taken the first step through a multilateral meeting with a delegation of commercial stakeholders operating at the Shopping Centre. Further rendezvous will follow in the next months with the aim to involve the interested parties in the gradual transformation of the area, which will offer more personalised services and a wider choice in terms of catering and hospitality.

This architectural urban transformation by Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, Italian practiced architects and designers who won the public tender, strikes for its complexity and for the great aesthetic and landscape impact aimed at conserving and increasing the green canopy under the Princely Palace. Combining the trade and business needs with those of sustainable and security management is one of the main missions.

A remarkable 2-hectare "Coulée Verte" (Green Corridor), made of more than two thousand trees, will adorn the entire area as designed byJean Mus, skilled landscape gardener strongly linked to the ecosystem of the French Riviera.

Photo >> The heart of Fontvieille Shopping Center © MonacoEcoArt

In tune with the environmental sustainability policies promoted by the Sovereign Prince and the National Government, the spaces of the new shopping centre will expand creating new green spaces distributed over five storeys, marked by a different colour according to the cultural, historical or geographical element to which it refers, notably: red like the red roofs that dominate Fontvieille District, blue like the sea, lavender like the iconic Southern France flower, ocher like the shades of the surrounding facades and grey like the cliffs of the Côte d'Azur. The fiberglass equipment will reinforce the environmentally friendly spirit, together with LED lights placed on the ceiling, intended to imitate kaleidoscopic water droplets. A cutting-edge suspended cable way will further revolutionise the neighbourhood skyline connecting the Exotic Garden to Fontvieille Shopping Centre and, then, the Prince Palace's Rock.

Photo >> Panoramic view on Fontvieille Commercial Centre with the Princely Palace in the background © MonacoEcoArt

The renovated Centre Commercial de Fontvieille is meant to be a comprehensive hub able to meet cultural, commercial, urban, architectural and ecological needs.

Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas described their project with the following significant words: « A landscape sensitive to an extraordinary geography, To emphasise how much the existing is incredible. A hill that connects the sea to the city. A vertical park and a transparent sea. See the garden of delights while thinking of the poetry of the Song of Songs».

According to the conceivers, the curved and sinuous lines of the architectural multi-terraced building will evoke sea waves and the structure itself of the seabed. Each level of the building will be interconnected as if it were a pedestrian panoramic liaison between the rocky land and the Mediterranean Sea, directly reachable from the ground floor. Hanging gardens will tend to mark each level of the mall, helping to define its unique design.

Photo >> One of the iconic accesses to Fontvieille Commercial Centre © MonacoEcoArt

The ambitious project promises to be a 'revolution' in Monegasque retail. The number of stores will increase up to seventy, together with forty new state-owned housing units and a new 4-screen multiplex cinema, while Carrefour hypermarket will be expanded and the number of parking spaces duplicated. Besides that, it is necessarily to maintain a strong bond with the territory to encourage that "spirit of conviviality" recently recalled by Philippe Clerissi, President of the Economic Interest Group of Fontvieille. The Prince's Government is being engaged to keep Fontvieille District liveable and welcoming by investing in comfort and aesthetic equipment, promotional campaigns as well as in safety, healthcare and sanitation measures.

Last but not least, the natural life-sustaining remains a priority for the entire project. The multi-level emerging structure will be fully energy-efficient providing proper ventilation and plenty of light from the outside, helping to create a distinctive new urban landscape.

The new project by Fuksas Architecture Firm seems to follow the original Fontvieille project by the will of H.S.H. Prince Rainier III of Monaco. A pioneering and remarkable example of land recovery from the sea, begun in the 197s and completed in the 1980s, to create a 22-hectare peninsula where the exclusive residential neighbourhood integrates perfectly into a relaxing garden city equipped by cutting-edge green-tech devices to reduce energy and water consumption. A set of avant-garde criteria for the time of urban planning. ***

✒️ Maurice Abbati

• Strategic Communication Specialist, Editor in Chief, Journalist, Executive.

• Lecturer and Author in English in the field of Environmental Communication to foster Circular and Blue Economy.