Between the sea and the lagoon, the town of Palavas-les-Flots, lacking major equipment, had only the sea and the sun as its assets. The Mediterranean therefore guided the design of the new functional rehabilitation center, based on heliotherapy, for children and adolescents. Located directly on the beach, the project is inspired by seaside and marine architecture. It substitutes the criteria of “resort” for the anxiety of hospitalization and presents itself more as an elegant cruise ship, marrying warm materials and bright colors, care and relaxation spaces. The facades in stepped plans, the terraces as a boat deck, eliminate the feeling of isolation.

The transparency of the reception and circulations, their fluidity are at the service of conviviality. One constantly moves between sunny exteriors and bright interiors. The well-being of children and the reassurance of parents are at the heart of the concerns. The outdoor facilities take into account the difficulties of patients in moving: one of the terraces becomes a huge playground, where sunshades and pergolas provide shade. The railings, colored like a game of Mikado, recall the bulwark of a liner. The large openings of the rooms allow the beds to be pulled onto the balconies from where rows of palm trees can be seen softening the environment. The sea is omnipresent, its blue penetrating almost all the rooms, impregnating them with its tranquility.