Monaco's 38,000 residents are squeezed into less than one square mile of land (2.02 square kilometers) - a territory the same size as London’s Hyde Park.
As the population has grown, developers have looked upwards to cater for demand and outwards: Monaco has gained an additional 100 acres from the sea to date, accounting for 20% of its territory.
Now construction has begun on a €2 billion project to extend the natural contour of Monaco's coastline a further 15 acres into the Mediterranean.
Irene Luke
Designed by Renzo Piano, once complete in 2025, the new district, Portier Cove will house up to 1,000 residents in luxury apartments, townhouses and villas.
Additional public spaces will include a landscaped park, a seafront promenade and a marina.
While the Government of Monaco is overseeing the project, private financers are fronting the construction cost and profit from the sale of real estate.
Oversized balconies will shade the buildings from the sun in summer and help recover heat in winter. On top of this, 40% of the district's energy needs will be provided by solar panels and pumps that use sea water to heat and cool buildings.
According to Bouygues Travaux Publics, the French company leading the build, water quality is being scrupulously monitored by a team of independent scientific experts throughout construction.
The platform and infrastructure work should be complete by 2020 and the entire district open for business by 2025.
Oversized balconies will shade the buildings from the sun in summer and help recover heat in winter. On top of this, 40% of the district's energy needs will be provided by solar panels and pumps that use sea water to heat and cool buildings.
According to Bouygues Travaux Publics, the French company leading the build, water quality is being scrupulously monitored by a team of independent scientific experts throughout construction.
The platform and infrastructure work should be complete by 2020 and the entire district open for business by 2025.
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