Feasibility study · Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe
A feasibility study to turn a disused stretch of road into a public place by the sea.
At Bananier, on the RN1 coast road in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, an old section of the road, now bypassed, runs beside a black-sand cove, a river mouth with mangrove and a working fishing port. Studied as part of the Guadeloupe Region’s landscape plan for its road network, the site could become a welcoming stop for residents and visitors: timber terraces facing the sea and the islands of Les Saintes, an enlarged market square, secure parking and safe walking links to the village.
Key facts
Client
Guadeloupe Region (landscape plan for the regional road network) – to confirm
Funder
French Government
Team
Signes Paysages, Signes Archi (in partnership), Bardinal Conseil
Site
Anse du Bananier, RN1, Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe
Framework
Landscape Strategy (Plan de paysage) for the regional road network of Guadeloupe – developing disused roadside spaces
Area
Approx. 0.5 ha (estimated from the plans)
Budget
Works estimated at about €1.2 M excl. tax
Timeline
Feasibility study, October 2020
Status
Feasibility study and programme definition delivered – to confirm
The site
The cove sits where the RN1 meets the sea. Its black-sand beach and rocky coast, the mouth of the Bananier river with its mangrove, the fishing port with its fish market and a jetty looking out to Les Saintes give it a strong character. Mature coastal vegetation frames the views. The former alignment of the RN1, still connected to the main road, offers unused land beside the water.
The challenge
The site is attractive but poorly organised. Cars, fishing activity, the market and walkers share the area without clear parking, a clear public space or safe access from both directions of the main road. The challenge is to make the place welcoming for everyone, and to keep the character of the shore.
The programme
The region’s brief called for a rehabilitated public space and market square; a multifunctional place for parking, a roadside break, a viewpoint, food and small trade; furniture such as benches and picnic tables; beaches accessible to all; secure parking on the former road alignment; footpaths linking the spaces; and a safer crossing of the village on the RN1.
Mission of Signes Archi
As part of the Guadeloupe Region’s landscape plan for the regional road network, a feasibility study and definition of the programme for the Bananier site.
- Landscape and urban design: timber terraces following the slope, with a few trees to keep the natural atmosphere, shelters (carbets) and furniture to enjoy the views, and access ramps and stairs down to the beach
- Market square: new buildings extending the existing market, planting, and functional improvements to the fishing port (landing, storage)
- Parking and movement: three groups of secure parking (24 spaces) along the old road alignment, footpaths linking the site to the coastal village
- Village crossing on the RN1: central refuge for left turns, signage, raised pedestrian crossings, and a row of palms or native trees
- Master plan and 3D views
Scope and themes: Strategy, studies and planning · Design · Local resources
To confirm
- Client (Guadeloupe Region?) and the exact framework: the October 2020 sheet is titled “Programming of the requalification of the national roads”, the other sheet belongs to the landscape plan
- Status after the study: the documents give different planning (October 2020 sheet: design September 2021, works April 2022; landscape-plan sheet: tender September 2022)
- Images: site panoramas, location plan, principle plan, master plan and 3D views – credits and rights (the reference photos on the 2020 sheet are not ours; not used)
- Exact title: “Anse du Bananier” or “Bananier village”
- Whether the project is shown on the map as Signes Archi (partner of Signes Paysages) – lawyer’s list