We are happy to announce our competition winning entry for a new pathway called Aldilonda in Bastia.

Enclosed the press release of Corse-Matin

The Aldilonda, a large-scale project that links the north and south of Bastia

Corse-Matin unveils exclusively the municipal project which completes the spassimare. It is a 450-metre crossing that follows the contours of the citadel with a surprising passage under the Poudrière
It is not without pride that the mayor of Bastia unveils the large panels hidden, for the moment out of sight, in his office. Beautiful photographs of the Old Port and the citadel, their physiognomy modified to show the finished result. The Aldilonda is becoming a reality, as Pierre Savelli points out: “This is the building site that will profoundly change the habits of the Bastians.

This is the missing link of what the former municipality had imagined and started under the name of soft road. “This project has nothing more to do with what was envisaged”, underlines the mayor of Bastia, not without a hint of pride.

The idea of this five-kilometre long promenade, linking the Toga district to the south of the city, has taken shape. The spassimare is practicable up to the Quai des Martyrs and then resumes at the entrance of the Bastia tunnel up to the Arinella. The works on the seafront road are almost finished and the site, including the lighting, will be delivered in November. The runners of the spassighjata will use it during the fourth edition of the urban trail, on December 9th.

From Mont Saint-Michel to the citadel

What was missing for the loop to be completed was the section between the Old Port and the entrance to the tunnel. The city council deliberated in April 2016 and nearly fifteen groups made themselves known to participate in the project,” continues Pierre Savelli. Last April, we selected three who came to visit the site in May. They then had two months to present their work to us.

During the summer, three projects were submitted to the elected officials, who finally selected the one by the highly reputed Dietmar Feichtinger firm, which designed, among other things, the splendid pier at Mont Saint-Michel. He will be associated with Corsican architects Buzzo-Spinelli.

They propose to run along the citadel, always remaining in contact with the rock, in a refined form, following its current contour. With a width of 2.80 m, the promenade rises five metres above the water, protected by a corten steel ramp. A real balcony on the sea that extends over 450 metres with a surprise that is unexpected, to say the least: a 25-metre long gallery dug under the Poudrière. “This makes it possible to keep the famous rock where many Bastians like to dive in the open air. It is designed with a huge light shaft and a staircase to reach the citadel”, explains the mayor of Bastia.

And that’s not all. On the tunnel side, three pontoons will be installed so that the inhabitants can appropriate a place that is not very accessible for the moment. Finally, doors will be installed to block access, as a safety measure, in case of heavy storms.

A six million euro project

“What attracted us to this project is that it respects the existing architecture and fits perfectly into the landscape. I even think that the Aldilonda will become an element of the city’s heritage in its own right. The contract was awarded last week and then presented to the city councillors. It will take thirty months to complete this atypical and innovative route. Including studies and works, this project will cost nearly six million euros.

The city of Bastia will only spend 20% of this sum since it benefits from financing provided by Europe with the Feder and the CTC. The Aldilonda could be delivered by the end of 2019, early 2020. Accessible to both pedestrians and cyclists, it will make it possible to link the north and south of the city, without the need to use a vehicle. This is a first step in trying to convert the people of Bastia to soft modes of transport.

Lead Architect: Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes
Local Architect: Buzzo Spinelli Architecture
Engineers: Spb
Landscape Architect: Insitu