Countdown to Moving Day: Grand Ida’s Résidence Héméra nears completion

grand ida résidence héméra

Ahead of the imminent completion of the Grand Ida’s Block C, a delegation made up of Conseil National councillors and representatives for the Monaco Government has been given a tour of the 13-storey development between the Principality’s Boulevard Rainier III and Rue Plati. 

Work began on the vast J.B. Pastor & Fils-backed development in 2020. Once complete, Grand Ida will form its own mini neighbourhood within the La Colle residential area of the northwestern Jardin Exotique district, with a full 224 apartments of various sizes, a dedicated space for the Association Monégasque pour l’Aide et la Protection de l’Enfance Inadaptée (AMAPEI), a crèche and commercial premises.  

The finish line is finally in sight, and it won’t be long before the residents of the Grand Ida Bâtiment C – now going by the name of Résidence Héméra, after the Greek Goddess of the Day – can finally move into their new homes. 

Those who made successful applications for housing here under the Principality’s Allocation Commission were notified of the good news back in February 2024 and were invited to tour their soon-to-be lodgings within the sleek skyscraper in April.

According to a statement by the Monaco Government, the applicants were “overwhelmingly” satisfied with their allocated homes, which all come with outdoor terraces and fully furnished kitchens, among other welcome features.

The delegation of government representatives and Conseil National councillors included the recently elected President of the Nation Council, Thomas Brezzo, and the head of the government’s Housing Department, Sylvie Rossi. Photo credit: Monaco Communications Department / Manuel Vitali

On 30th April, a delegation of government representatives and Conseil National councillors, including the recently elected President of the Nation Council, Thomas Brezzo, and the head of the Housing Department, Sylvie Rossi, were given a separate tour of Résidence Héméra.

The 13-storey building houses 48 flats, among them 13 two-room apartments, 11 three-room homes and 24 four-room properties. Two commercial spaces for shops or restaurants will eventually open on the lower floors. Leases for these areas will be assigned in May.  

The Grand Ida sector will ultimately include two more buildings, bringing the total number of residential spaces up to 224 units. 56 will be available for purchase on the open market while 168 have been strictly reserved for Monegasque citizens and their families.  

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Photo credit: Monaco Communications Department / Manuel Vitali

Almine Rech opens new gallery in Monaco

Almine Rech has continued its expansion in Monaco with the opening of a new gallery in the prestigious Carré d’Or district. 

The gallery, located at 20 Avenue de la Costa, swung open its doors to the public on Thursday 2nd May with a presentation of intergenerational works of art from the estates and artists represented by the gallery. They include Günther Förg, Turi Simeti, Tom Wesselmann, Minjung Kim, Dr. Esther Mahlangu, Kenny Scharf, Francesco Vezzoli, Gregor Hildebrandt, Carlos Jacanamijoy, Fabien Adèle, Alexandre Lenoir, Ryan Schneider and Thu-Van Tran.

Another exhibition will follow on 22nd May during the Monaco Grand Prix of Monaco. 

“The Principality of Monaco has historically captivated artists and art collectors from the beginning of the 20th century until today,” said Almine Rech-Picasso in a statement. “In this fertile cultural context, the gallery has been present in Monaco for several years, participating in the Monte-Carlo art fair and promoting connections to collectors, institutions and more. I am delighted to welcome them all in this new space, which allows the gallery to continue to develop its relations with the city and its surroundings.”

See: Almine Rech at Art Monte-Carlo

Almine Rech, born in Paris to a mixed Vietnamese-French heritage, pursued art, cinema, and literature studies before entering the art world. Initially involved in provenance research for auction houses, she later ventured into art dealing, eventually becoming a gallerist. Teaming up with her second husband, Cyrille Putman, she opened her first gallery in the Marais in 1989. Over the years, the gallery expanded internationally, with spaces in Paris, Brussels, London, New York, Shanghai and Gstaad, in addition to institutional collaborations in Venice.

Almine Rech has been married to Bernard Ruiz-Picasso since 1997 and the pair live in Monaco.

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Basketball: Roca Team feel the heat as they lose to Fenerbahçe in Game 3

Fenerbahçe roca team

AS Monaco Basket’s future in the EuroLeague’s Final Four is hanging in the balance following a crushing defeat at the hands of Fenerbahçe in Istanbul. 

The Roca Team is in a tough position. After three games against the Turkish side, two at home in the Principality and the third on Fenerbahçe’s turf at the Ulker Sports Arena, the Monegasques are 2-1 down.

Game 3 in the playoffs took place on Wednday 1st May, and ended with a final score of 89-78.

This was a high-stakes game for both sides, given their one win apiece in the Salle Gaston Médecin last week, and all 14,000 seats were taken as the two teams took to the court.  

Unfortunately, the bad luck for the Roca Team started early on in the game, when John Brown III had to be sidelined due to an injury.  

I don’t know if we would have won with him, but we would have defended better, especially in the small ball,” commented Roca Team’s coach Sasa Obradovic following the game.   

The Monaco side did enjoy some high points, such as when Donatas Motiejunas and Alpha Diallo brought the scores back to within a single point, adding extra fuel to the game. Diallo alone scored an impressive 23 points, but it was not enough to overcome the aggressive play of Fenerbahçe. 

Mam Jaiteh, Roca Team’s pivot, said, “Losing Game 3, it’s very frustrating, but there are also positives to take away for the future. We lacked concentration, but despite that, we had a lot of chances to get back into the game.” 

Game 4 now looms and the Rouges et Blancs face an uphill battle if they are to keep their EuroLeague aspirations alive. 

Fenerbahçe, meanwhile, will be keen to close out the series with a second success on their home court.  

As the pressure mounts, both teams prepare for another intense showdown where everything is on the line. 

The next game will take place on 3rd May.  

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Photo credit: AS Monaco Basket

A1 Padel French Open: Elite tournament coming to Beausoleil

The A1 Padel French Open is coming to Beausoleil’s dedicated Tennis Padel Soleil venue in May.  

Padel is gaining momentum as a mainstream sport worldwide, but it is particularly popular in the south of France and Monaco, which recently hosted the inaugural Padel Best Expo at the Grimaldi Forum.

The next major date in the calendar for local fans and players is the upcoming A1 Padel French Open, which will be held between 13th and 19th May at the Tennis Padel Soleil venue on Avenue des Combattants en Afrique du Nord in Beausoleil for the very first time.

Spectators will be able to watch some of the best Padel players on the circuit in action as they battle it out for up to €130,000 in prize money.  

Notable players expected to participate include Leonel ‘Tolito’ Aguirre, Gonzalo Alfonso and Franco Dal Bianco, amongst others. This event is open to all, from amateurs to seasoned professionals, with up to 104 pairs due to feature in the qualifying rounds. 

For more information about the event, click here. 

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Padel Best Expo’s debut event in Monaco concludes on a high note

 

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Photo source: Pixabay

Explore more than 120 worldwide destinations from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport this summer

With a record number of long-haul flights and connections to some 122 destinations across the globe, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport is upping the ante this summer in a bid to grow its international network and offer passengers more choice than ever before.  

Summer 2024 is chalking up to be a good one for travellers flying in and out of Nice Côte d’Azur Airport.  

See more: Direct flights to Malta and Agadir coming soon to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport

The newly released schedule features a full 122 destinations in 45 countries worldwide, including 13 long-haul connections to North America and the Middle East. 

Among the new additions in 2024 is the direct flight to Philadelphia with American Airlines as well as the Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi in the UAE.  

“The continued growth of our network to and from North America and the Gulf countries is excellent news for the people living on the Côte d’Azur and for our region,” says Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur. “These long-haul flights play a major role in opening up our region and represent a wealth of opportunities for businesses throughout the Riviera, from the Var to Liguria. In addition, these are direct routes, so they’re faster, shorter and generate fewer emissions.” 

There are also 10 new short-haul connections on the roster this summer, such as flights to Agadir, Alicante, Kefalonia, Rabat, Tenerife and Valletta with easyJet, Aalborg on Norwegian, Faro with Transavia France, Nuremberg on EuroWings and Yerevan with FlyOne. 

For a detailed schedule of the flights available at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, click here.

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Photo source: David Rodrigo, Unsplash

Introducing the Hôtel Métropole’s ZIA pizza pop-up

Featuring the finest Italian ingredients and time-honoured traditional methods, but with a very contemporary twist, the ZIA pop-up restaurant at the Hôtel Métropole will be serving up pizzas like no others in the Principality come summer.  

Between 12th June and 31st August, the five-star Hôtel Métropole will be teaming up with Intuicion Limited to host the ZIA pop-up at the Odyssey.  

Chefs Manon Santini and Rocco Seminara are in the midst of perfecting their summer menu of pizzas, which will be made from dough rested for up to 72 hours to achieve the ideal combination of lightness and crispiness.  

The signature truffle pizza. Photo credit: Patrick Chin

The pair will be using the best Italian ingredients to create their bases, such as whole grain and cereal flours, as well as choice specialties from the nation’s various regions for the toppings, such as truffles and hazelnuts.  

Of course, there will be the classics, like the Margherita and Napolitana, but the duo is also dreaming up an array of creative and exotic options that will feature the likes of avocado and caviar.

Chef Manon Santini, the winner of the 2019 World Champion Dessert Pizza award, will be serving an extra special take on dessert at the ZIA pop-up. Photo credit: Rafael Alonso

Chef Santini won the 2019 World Champion Dessert Pizza award and will be pulling out all the stops to offer diners a unique pizza experience in this glorious outdoor setting. 

The ZIA pop-up will be open for dinner service from Wednesday to Sunday from 12th June until 31st August. Buon appetito! 

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Main photo credit: Rafael Alonso