Monaco Extends over the Sea: a €2BN Megaproject

It is a place that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and is constantly innovating. A state where innovative multibillion-dollar real estate projects are underway, the most spectacular of which will open in a few months. This giant project is not in the Middle East, but in the Principality of Monaco, on the border with France.
Monaco, nicknamed “the Rock,” is a veritable coriander in geographical terms. Surrounded by France, it lies some 20 kilometers east of Nice and a stone's throw from the Italian border.
Monaco's surface area is only 2 square kilometers. It is therefore the second smallest country in the world, after the Vatican (0.44 square kilometers). By comparison, the city of Paris covers an area of 105 square kilometers.
However, with more than 39,000 inhabitants, Monaco is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. And space is a rare commodity. To expand further, a horizon was immediately identified. The Mediterranean, where man-made development projects are piling up. And the latest one is certainly the most impressive.
The new Mareterra extension has been under construction since 2015. It required a huge financial investment and the involvement of the world's leading architects. Although the project is supposed to be environmentally friendly, it has been criticized by many for turning the area into a new paradise for the rich.
Today, Looking 4 takes you to the Rock to discover one of the largest construction sites in Europe.
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Text : Guillaume Fournier
Video Editing : Looking 4 / Tahina Randrianandraina
Animations : Tahina Randrianandraina
Additional images : Mareterra, Bouygues, Eiffage.
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00:00 Geography of Monaco
01:27 Monaco, the city with the highest density of millionaires and billionaires in the world
02:40 The first seaward extension projects
04:45 The Mareterra project
06:01 An eco-responsible construction site?
06:30 The construction phases of the new Mareterra neighborhood
08:30 Extreme precautions against the risk of flooding
09:18 A neighborhood designed by the world's greatest architects
11:13 Presentation of Mareterra's luxury residences
2024 Looking 4 (En) | All rights reserved.

[@Looking4En]

Sorry about the quality of this voice-over, but the person I work with was on vacation... Good video though!

[@notpurple]

seemed good to me

[@GeorgeVenturi]

whut?

[@Foxx_33]

No need, sounded fine! :)

[@stormworks4882]

AI syth?

[@RWBHere]

I thought that this was an AI?

[@InterRegios]

Monaco discovered the magic of the galvanized square steel and the eco friendly wood veneer.

[@Webcoreinteractive]

They have to throw aro8nd "eco friendly" that the hypocritical elites can feel at ease.

[@CowboyBillUSA]

Imagine purchasing an oceanfront condo, only to have some developer build a multi-hectare project right in front of your condo on an artificial reef. I would be pissed.

[@Ub3rSk1llz]

they'll live

[@panher]

Those poor millionaires and billionaires!

[@interestings7866]

It’s literally a joke in Monaco to never fall in love with your view, because one day it will disappear

[@VENO5407]

@@panher No, but seriously though.

[@RayLabs]

Was just thinking the same thing.

[@billB101]

They should have built it so the F1 track could be extended.

[@AmokCanuck]

Fr we need a wider section to allow overtaking

[@robertelkins5928]

You can't polish a turd. Worst circuit on the calendar.

[@billB101]

​@@robertelkins5928 It's only one of the worlds most historic and prestigious motor races. What would you prefer, more races in car parks.

[@robertelkins5928]

@@billB101 Historic? The Formula has changed. The cars have changed. Old circuits have been upgraded, re profiled or dropped entirely to move along with the sport. All except Monaco. Rouen Les Essarts, the original Monza, Zandvoort, Reims-Gueux, Watkins Glen. All far more “historic” than Monaco. But dropped or significantly altered generally due of the safety concerns associated with tight circuits with no run off zones. None of which apparently applies to Monaco. But why would it apply when there are Billionaires to cater to. And what did we see on Sunday? Yup, a first lap crash that took three cars out of the race and set the entire race back by what 45 minutes? Oh and not a single overtake until lap 51, with there only being four in total throughout the entire race and none of these happening within the top 10 positions. Monaco is simply a parade put on to appease the wealthy. Nothing prestigious about it mate.

[@billB101]

@@robertelkins5928 I absolutely disagree. I love Monaco, so do many people. For me it is F1. The quali is the best there is. Getting rid if it would be an absolute travesty. It does need some tweaks though for sure. I mean, it's not going anywhere really to be honest.

[@LHommeMultiCulti]

So people that bought a SeaView Apartment wont have a Seaview anymore 😅😳 DAMN

[@bobgoddard5489]

I utterly despise most architects. All we have again is a box on top of another box on top of another box. So many straight lines makes it so depressing & much of it will look old and tired a few years after construction. Nature is built on curves, we can't that happen here?

[@adriencloud2130]

Architects are usually at the whim of Beaucracy; The laws, the opinion of the people living in the surrounding zone, the budget, the state of the economy. more often than not renderings architects put forth are whittled down to just a mere box. to despise them seems misplaced.

[@Electra-xm7lu]

Indeed, there is nothing original, classical, or impressive about what is being constructed here. These architects are just exploiting a name and developers are using them as marketing. Lesser know architects could have also designed this, if not something better.

[@silvioapires]

Those were EXACTLY my thoughts! A pile of ugliness one would be HARD pressed to find ANY feature that is not seen worldwide with such constructions! Designed by a bunch of MASSIVE WANKERS who love to piss in each other pockets and call it "design!" THE only thing that MONSTROSITY will achieve is to make the traditional Monaco buildings WAY more valuable!

[@burgerbash3829]

Try being an architect mate

[@bobgoddard5489]

@@burgerbash3829 My background is heavy engineering. Whether I am an architect or not, does not bar me from passing judgement. I have no wish to see a return to the brutalist era.

[@christianwestling2019]

Awesome project; shame on the boxy modernist architecture that will look dated (like the surrounding 70s architecture) in a couple of years. I wish Monaco would return to its belle epoque archictectural roots.

[@FilipCordas]

My god Monaco is ugly now a days zero style or personality looks like an office block

[@frevebe7693]

yeah the bell epoque in this era, that would be very tacky... Stop living in the past.

[@christianwestling2019]

@@frevebe7693 Why? Building new buildings in classical architecture happens all over the world. Why should we be forced to live in soulless glass and steel just because its 2024?

[@jonathancollard3710]

I agree… but square boxes maximise floor area and thus sales prices 😵‍💫

[@kyriakos_ioannou]

​@@frevebe7693 this neobrutalist style got old pretty fast, should belong in the past imo

[@colinuk1984]

All for €2Billion. Seems a good deal 🤔

[@yuriyzenda5857]

The US spends $2 billion often on one tall building, meanwhile Monaco is building an entire section of a new city for the same.

[@colinuk1984]

@@yuriyzenda5857 upwards or outwards I guess

[@bigmini2870]

Leave it to the ultra rich to be counting every penny

[@d.b.cooper1]

I mean you could probably recover just 10% of the cost by selling 1 villa for $200m

[@tomekf3811]

I work in Monaco and the prices of these apartment buildings come to a wet €120,000 per square metre, and the smallest flats are 180 metres plus a garage, where in Monaco the cheapest garage can be bought for 300 thousand. Also if you have 120 flats it is already paying for itself plus villas plus centa comercial office buildings. And a lot of villas have been sold to Russians where they had to pay a deposit of at least 40% and now after sanctions they cannot complete the deal and their flats are being re-sold. Also for sure the City will make money from the investment.

[@jimwoodford3984]

Wow... Amazing white featureless boxes from a 'world renound architect'. Must have taken some real hard work in the design🤮

[@queeg6473]

Designed using Dublo blocks.

[@tescoracers1104]

It looks terrible doesn’t it. Why on earth would they want the bloke that made the monstrosity that is the Pompidou centre, looks like and inside out ikea

[@niilespunkari8832]

Indeed. Sh*t architecture.

[@gregorymiron8116]

Will like Steve Jobs once said: Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication

[@Webcoreinteractive]

AI could have designed these North Korean looking apts

[@egeegee7146]

I drove up passed that the other day, went the wrong way as is the norm in Monaco due to the amount of tunnels that act like spaghetti and the loss of connection to your sat nav. But drove along that route passed the new forum and it was stunning. Thing is you would not know there was work ongoing. And I have been at anchor in the bay and didn't notice it then either. It is very discreetly done.

[@costis1979]

No

[@LMays-cu2hp]

Thank you for sharing a beautiful look into the new property project there in Monaco.😊

[@christopherchase4960]

it's so deeply ugly though. the landscapes are amazing but the architecture looks cheap and soulless.

[@0448mickey]

Some rich people pay a fortune for their sea-view property, then some richer people reclaim the sea and destroy the view. Poor people get a warm, fuzzy feeling when this happens. 😁

[@quintenelijah6586]

Poor people not broke people. Ought yes I agree. A poor soul is a miserable soul that takes pleasure in other people downfalls

[@janoycresnova9156]

Destroy is quite a stretch. I'm sure it's considered and quite minimal.

[@rusitoexplorador]

Living from resentment is so sad

[@AlbertZonneveld]

They destroy the view of other millionaires. Do we care

[@christianwestling2019]

Don't be communist.

[@Benjilaw2288]

Ugly apartment tower blocks.

[@castlerock58]

World's leading architects? The architecture likes like generic crap you see everywhere. Great architects build buildings that look impressive and original.

[@ohkav]

i thought the gibraltar was nicknamed the rock....

[@StephaneCalabrese]

So is Dwayne Johnson, and Monaco. In fact "le rocher". Tve Rock in English.

[@philip9107]

The "Rock" does not refer to all of Monaco; this was an inaccuracy in the video. The Rock is a specific part of Monaco where the prince's palace and historic center are located.

[@alexanderrotmensz]

This comments section is spot on. All this money spent to build ugly, worn out modernism. Bring back the style and beauty that put Monaco on the map.

[@Saki630]

Good video bro. This is a perfect video for showing people why Billionaires should not exist. Imagine if these billionaires were forced to live off $999million and all the extra Billions go back to the people....... The poor cannot understand how difficult it is to spend $1billion if you cant buy Aircraft Carriers, Military Aircraft, or whole nations.

[@TheMap1997]

At least go with classical architecture not some modern soulless bullshit

[@dinofabrizzi2116]

As they do in Dubai for example...

[@MAdDyMatt]

Gone the days in Formula One seeing the sea before the right turn into tunnel at Portier.

[@dinho890i]

Architects just makes things look good ENGINEERS are the true heroes

[@sandratestolinilembo3915]

So architects don’t take into account the engineering works like all other systems .that is why Architects are call architects right? This is a projects an Architectural project with very important engineering systems .

[@johnsinclair1386]

Nice that the types of people who are most to blame for global warming are building their new places high enough to avoid the seas rise.

[@jonathancollard3710]

Wellllll, you just said it!. Indeed the likes of the climate crisis that shout the louder like Al Gore and Ex-President Obama both have bought massive multimillion beach houses ….literally on the beach, so they ain’t really too worried about rising sea levels eh 🤬. It’s a scam

[@dasdasdatics420]

Monaco was basically a tax haven for the french. It's principality status is just another ruse to prevent french tax officers from interfering in the wealthy people.

[@julianashton4661]

THAT WAS A “ BRILLIANT “ PRESENTATION…….. WILL COME BACK TO YOU LATER THIS YEAR…… THANK YOU…………………………………

[@VERY_VARIOUS_VIDEOS]

Wonderful place! Video like 👍

[@actionfigureschannel]

It's important to remember that many, but not all property owners in Monaco don't live there year round. Monaco is a wonderful city that allows Europeans to leave their country, obtain citizenship (with investment) and live nearly tax free. So to many, an obstructed view of the sea at your part time residence isn't as much of a factor when you're keeping all of the money you make.

[@darrenkinsey9105]

Good watch, very direct and straight to the point, looking forward to watching more of your content.

[@doowroh]

The text of this video sounds suspiciously like AI. Too much generic-sounding text saying something without saying anything.

[@ethgod]

the voice is also ai

[@VlerkeDamne]

Come on clearly a lot of work went into this. Some AI doesn't matter.

[@raideveloper]

true, but for an AI text and voiceover is pretty good, most are terrible and impossible to watch, this is watchable

[@jawadad73]

suspiciously? ... getting there sherlock...

[@dieselbaby]

It is, this entire thing is AI

[@VisionCommunications]

I think there's enough room in the Mediterranean sea to accommodate the expansion of tiny Monaco.

[@badenpobjoy8274]

Incredible architecture....very impressive.

[@zachgamr5475]

Criticized as being a new paradise for the rich? Isn't that just what Monaco is? Why would anyone be surprised?

[@ArturKwaszyn]

I think it’s beautiful. It’s quite amazing that we, as humans, are able to design and build.

[@josephpiskac2781]

Yes fantastic Thank You!

[@dustingaersmith8999]

Very interesting undertaking architecturally.

[@DavidS5118]

I really enjoyed watching this content. In depth but not to a point where I failed to understand. Thanks for keeping it real..

[@teodimi3042]

I haven’t understood if the project is already reality or not, because sometimes he speaks in present.. Have you understood?

[@DavidS5118]

@@teodimi3042 The only reason I did not question is that I was looking at the construction project on Google Maps and then went hunting for a YT video on the project. But you are correct in the tense issue.

[@cruzmakaveli9891]

Well put together documentary. Thank you !

[@hungo7720]

Couldn't envisage such a colossal project will be slated for inauguration in the coming years.

[@innsaeimaster]

Terrible, Still using squared elementary design instead of organic architecture design like those of Zahra Hadid or Frank Goehry.

[@jeansentrais9866]

For the last 25 years, Monaco became a disney circus for billionaires ... on visit or hide there their fortune. But living there make you crazy and mad !

[@eddieg6436]

I’m very happy there will be public spaces, parks, and retail in this new area…..VERY exciting!!

[@NINO-mx1xh]

That's simply amazing, wow! 🤩🤩🤩🤩😍😍😍😍👋👋👋👋👋👋👋

[@pabsgabino]

What a grotesque way of showing the true meaning of the phrase "Rules for thee, not for me." While they claim that our cars and lifestyle are a threat to our planet, the more affluent class flies in almost empty private jets and do projects like this that destroy the ecosystem. But then they say that "global warming" is our fault. Please!

[@alinesobieray2436]

Amazing ❤️

[@ErnestDuran-tx9lr]

Nicely done,,,, the engineers, architects, developers, and contractors are doing a magnificent job,,,, I would like to see how much everything shift after 5 years

[@pierrebridet]

The size comparison at 1min01 is very misleading, you overlapped Monaco (which is around 3km in length) onto an area of Paris between l'Ile de la cité and Place du Chatelet which is around 200 meters. So Monaco on that scale would need to be 15 times larger than what is represented here. It would stretch across almost 1/3 of the size of Paris (which, granted, is still pretty small for a state, but nowhere near the 200 m you showed on the map which literally take 2 minutes to walk across the bridge over the Seine river)

[@PhilLewis-xg7iv]

Really ? Monaco was known as the rock. I thought Gibraltar was. Has anyone else ever referred to Monaco as " The rock" ?

[@jsmeghead]

The Rock!! I've never heard that before.

[@stormclearer]

Great job, I built a 7.5ft skyscraper, it was so much fun

[@a.k._v10]

Truly a galvanized square steel moment

[@pjacobsen1000]

0:30 Monaco is not, and has never been, nicknamed 'The Rock'. That honor falls to Gibraltar, at the southern tip of Spain.

[@maxwalker1159]

Cool!

[@GanzBestimmt]

What an eyesore. Great job Mr. Architect.

[@angrygopnik2317]

architect aren't to blame when the developers, billionaires and other stakeholders are the ones dumping all their money for this project

[@angrygopnik2317]

blame the developers, billionaires and other stakeholders for who are the first ones to fund this ridiculous project

[@r22gamer54]

As a student who is in MUN, i got the pleasure to talk to the UN ambassadors to Monaco. They are really serious about the issues you mentioned. One of the ambassadors I talked to is big on ecological preservation, and it was really interesting, listening to their unique solutions to these challenging problems you mentioned.

[@michaeloxlong5697]

"the concrete casons were designed to facilitate the growth of algae".... I bet it will smell wonderful.

[@1STGeneral]

A French thing?

[@kaibuchan]

HONEY! WE GOTTA GO TO MONACO!!!!

[@spj4188]

For the first time Monaco has a Black heir to the throne but the country won't let him inherit or take the throne because of his race.

[@bernovem9385]

Maybe, they should buy some land from France? 😅

[@user-pf7cw5wr4y]

At what price tag , France isnt a puppet state ? Biliona of euro easily , so land reclamation

[@sirrobinofloxley7156]

Interesting fact, Italy gave France huge swathes of South of France in the 1860's.

[@MOZAMUSIC2011]

Your piece was very informative and well put together, five stars.

[@Looking4En]

Thank you very much.

[@onnorijpstra]

As a simple non rich guy, i like to travel to Menton, stay there and visite Monaco. As Menton is quite the opposite of Monaco, those are two beautiful contrasts to photograph, which is my passion.

[@mic2349]

Great video, well done.

[@Looking4En]

Thx!

[@neilkasher]

Very cool 😎

[@Jean_Mi]

Beautiful and good report

[@Looking4En]

Thank you so much!

[@portaltwo]

A "new paradise for the rich" (1:45)? It's already a paradise for the rich. I only wish I were one! 😎

[@ILLYRIANW0LF]

Surely for that money, Monoco could have purchased some land from France.

[@actionfigureschannel]

France has denied them on that offer many times. Likely to never happen.

[@user-ue9js1tz9v]

Tout est une question d’argent … La France pourrait profiter de leur céder un peu de territoire en réclamant, en plus du prix de vente du terrain, un léger pourcentage en taxes foncières. Monaco attire les gens riches de partout dans le monde, par conséquent, ces nouveaux territoires annexés à la Principauté généreraient probablement de plus grandes entrées d’argent que s’ils restaient territoires français. Si j’étais du côté français, je ne fermerais pas complètement la porte à leur vendre du territoire!

[@dinofabrizzi2116]

​@@user-ue9js1tz9vtu as donne' une reponse Tres intelligente. Mais les Governments sont forme' souvent par des cons...

[@puirYorick]

They should have commissioned new architects with better ideas. It all looks so boxy and cemented like a 1970s American version of the future. It's mostly offset rectangles like parking garages stacked as a Jenga tower. It's good to see super rich people spending fortunes to annoy other super rich ones who arrived earlier for the seafront views. LOL.

[@stevie750iL]

Monaco is very soulless place tbh. Never found the attraction. Nice on the other hand ❤

[@danbooker278]

They needed to extend the F1 circuit too so that some overtaking can be made ….

[@alessiosem2238]

Mareterra derive from two italian words: Mare (sea) and Terra (earth, land, soil) as side note, prince Alberto along with his entire genealogy has italian roots as Grimaldi one of the five most important families of the feudal nobility of the Republic of Genova. That explain the italian name from this project.

[@shandhaula]

Not Italian : LATIN. Never learned or spoke latin?

[@alessiosem2238]

​@@shandhaula Let me get this straight: i speak Italian, those 2 are Italian words, prince albert family is from Italian roots and you are here telling me those 2 words came from latin, which is obvious because Italian come from latin as well and is the closer language. Do you get how preposterous is your comment? Utterly useless.

[@alessiosem2238]

@@shandhaula Those are italian words, italian is the closer language to latin so therefore of course those are also latin words, nevertheless your objection is utterly pointless.

[@Malaki420]

You have a very uplifting Narrative voice in my opinion. I went ahead and subscribed to your channel. I live in the United States of America.

[@Looking4En]

Oh thank you so much!

[@Malaki420]

You're very welcome

[@thenyloncurtain]

❤I want to live in Monaco‼️😁❤️

[@jal1797]

But the visibility to the sea of present buildings at the coast will be restricted.How they managed to legally take permission to build exactly in front of present buildings?This must be worldwide phanomenon.

[@P-Nor]

Residents there will need a live-in window cleaner; all that glass and salt-water sprays…

[@michaelhoran407]

Please be sure that the Jacques Cousteau Institute of Monaco is consulted about the maritime protection in this mega project. Watching from U.S.A.❤

[@terrymacdad8742]

Nice

[@Eliaspeterkall]

Do they use Galvanized square steel for the expansion?

[@sebastianmisljenovicMS]

2BN 👏👍

[@Tappygameplay]

Great video but monaco is the monst dense country its not one of the most 👍

[@marcperez3270]

Why don't they use galvanized square steel?

[@TheUrbanKing683]

They are using galvanized steel

[@lokesh303101]

Yes!

[@markleon411]

Nicely presented. It looks remarkably similar to the Barangaroo project in Sydney.

[@williamgay3]

What's wrong with being a new paradise for the rich? It feels like this channel is against anything they think isn't ok. However, they did a good job editing and sharing some good information too. Amazing project!

[@CyberQuince]

"The Rock" is only a part of Monaco - Monaco Ville, as that part literally is sitting on a rock ("Le Rocher").

[@pouletmcrooster5206]

The Tower of Babel comes to mind

[@dorsia4167]

Captain Ted! Captain Ted, all right, look. We're going to Monaco. Monaco now, okay? We're going to Monaco so that we can drive to Switzerland so they don't stamp our passports. Take care of business here, we'll drive back to Monaco, take a flight over to London to catch the funeral and be in New York in three fucking business days! That's the fucking plan!

[@marial8415]

We can at least be certain that the workers on this project are well treated and paid properly, unlike similar projects in Dubai and the rest of the UAE.

[@jeansentrais9866]

Sorry ! We can't be there.

[@rebelliocross519]

What about the rights of the owners of the existing buildings? Like the view on the sea?

[@CV19_YT]

Hopefully this will extend the F1 track

[@calebamore]

If the seas are rising shouldn't all of these people be moving at least slightly inland?

[@Legionnaire1992]

2 billion euro project on reclaimed land from the sea - all for some luxury villas

[@Oshaoxin]

I mean what else can you do with a city-level state surrounded by countries that squeeze your growth potential?

[@NikCan66]

Excellent video and informative 👍

[@Looking4En]

Thanks!

[@msoldate]

2 Billion is a great deal for all that construction in addition to the reclamation for wealthy people considering they spend 2-3 times more money building sports arenas in the US

[@nexrace]

"The Rock" Cheaper than paying taxes.

[@ErnestDuran-tx9lr]

Let me build it and design a feww projects for Monaco....

[@ahoj7720]

Why are billionaires worried in Monaco? Because of the millionaires wandering along the streets.

[@captlee3732]

We're not

[@claushansen9038]

Great video, in Denmark we let sea water eat our country, strange, but true !

[@kevinmsft]

The price and exclusivity are grotesque. I know this is Monaco but still....

[@philippedemontauvant5565]

Rising sea levels? Where and when?

[@mickeysmiths]

Where is this? Love from 🇦🇺