It looks like a science-fiction film set: Tourists flock to an otherworldly European resort

As summer temperatures begin to ease, tourists heading south across Europe are rediscovering La Grande-Motte, a French Mediterranean resort that looks less like a traditional holiday town than a science-fiction film set.

Located about half an hour by car from Montpellier, La Grande-Motte emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as part of a French government project to develop the coast between Perpignan and Montpellier. The plan aimed to attract French holidaymakers who traditionally travelled to Spain or the French Riviera. New resorts included Gruissan and Port Leucate, but La Grande-Motte became the most distinctive of them.

Its identity comes from a tightly coordinated collection of unusual apartment blocks and hotels. Some resemble Central American pyramids, reflecting architect Jean Balladur’s inspiration. The Le Quetzal hotel takes its name from the colorful bird found in Central America. Much of the town’s built environment has the futuristic forms that make it seem ready-made for science fiction.

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comfort

Even the name of the central square, Point Zéro, sounds like something from a futuristic novel. The square connects to the beach and marks the place where construction of the town began.

Balladur designed nearly every visual element of La Grande-Motte, from its layout and buildings to street furniture, traffic lights, road signs, lamps and power transformers. He sought a consistent whole, guided by the ideas of “comfort” and “leisure.” Broad, shaded paths give priority to pedestrians and cyclists, while cars stay out. Abundant greenery softens the geometric architecture, and the buildings and apartments were designed at a human scale using the golden ratio.

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leisure