Is This Norman Foster’s “Coolest” Project In Years?

Essentially a large canopy, the Vieux Port Pavilion shades pedestrians walking along Marseilles’ harborfront promenade, a World-Heritage site. The simple structure consists of thin steel columns — that support a lightweight 46 X 22 meter roof plane. This polished stainless steel ceiling reflects the crowds beneath it, as well as the water, boats, and granite surface of the walkway; in doing so, the pavilion absorbs and projects a concise, yet complex picture of urban life and activity.