Fourteen residents of La Petite Afrique, one of Monaco’s most exclusive addresses, spent Wednesday night away from their homes after a crack was discovered in a load-bearing wall on the building’s first basement level, prompting a precautionary evacuation by the Principality’s fire service.

The government confirmed the evacuation of the building at 3 avenue de la Madone in a statement issued late on Wednesday 22nd July, saying the measure had been taken as a preventive step while structural experts were called to the site. No one was injured and, according to the government, no damage was recorded beyond the crack itself. Residents made their own arrangements for the night.

Fire service called to the Carré d’Or

The alert was raised on Wednesday evening in the heart of the Carré d’Or, a short walk from the Casino gardens and the Hôtel de Paris. According to Monaco-Matin, the initial findings of firefighters pointed to a fissure in a load-bearing wall in the basement, raising the possibility that the structure had been weakened.

That assessment was enough to trigger the evacuation of all 14 residents while a building expert was called in as a matter of urgency to carry out checks. Firefighters remained in place on avenue de la Madone through the evening. An ambulance dispatched with the first response convoy left the scene once it became clear it would not be needed.

One of the Principality’s most exclusive buildings

Completed in December 2016 on the site of the former Banca Commerciale Italiana premises, La Petite Afrique was designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld, with Frédéric Genin of Agence Arch as executive architect and Engeco as main contractor. It takes its name from the neighbouring gardens laid out by French landscape architect Édouard André in the late 19th century.

The building rises nine storeys above ground level and sits above several levels of underground parking. It houses eight apartments ranging in size from roughly 350 to 900 square metres, including a penthouse with its own pool, alongside a spa, an indoor pool, offices and ground-floor retail space. Apartments in the building are among the most sought-after in the Principality and rarely come to market publicly.

Awaiting the expert’s findings

The authorities have not confirmed the cause of the crack, and the building will remain empty until engineers establish that it is safe for residents to return. The government has not indicated how long that assessment is expected to take.

The incident comes seven months after a separate structural alert in the La Rousse district, where movement in a slope above the former Collège Charles III led the government to evacuate residents of the Virginia Plaza and Point du Jour buildings in December as a preventative measure.

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Sixty residents spend Christmas in hotels after Monaco evacuations

Photo by Monaco Life