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Photos: the new Grimaldi Forum in 2025

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/06/2022

Monaco’s main congress and cultural centre, the Grimaldi Forum, is set to grow enormously as it fuses into the new Mareterra eco-district. Here’s what it will look like in just two and a half years’ time.  

A year after it celebrates a quarter of a century of existence, the Grimaldi Forum will in 2025 unveil a vast extension, boosting exhibition capacity by an impressive 50%.

The new site, created as part of the land reclamation project, will add an extra 6,000 m2 to the current 35,000 m2 space.

It will consist of three zones: the Diaghilev Gallery, the Carré and Patio Rooms, and the Pinède Hall – the largest of the three spaces. Each will offer plenty of surface area to accommodate exhibition stands and meeting rooms, as well as catering.

In making the most of the Principality’s exceptional location and its 300 days of sunshine per year, 2,000 m2 of outdoor space will also be created, including the new Indigo terrace, the Emeraude Forecourt, the Patio, the Ravel terrace with a view of the open sea, and the covered Patio.

The new dimension is made possible thanks to Mareterra, the new eco-district that is currently under construction by the Monegasque government.

This six-hectare extension of the Principality will offer housing, a car park, shops, restaurants, a pine trees forest and a marina. Answering to very strict environmental requirements, it is part of the Principality’s objective to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

With the 1,500 solar panels installed on the Grimaldi Forum’s roof supplying energy to the surrounding buildings and this new district, it is natural then that the congress and cultural centre, which has been certified ISO 14001 since 2008, is part of this ambitious project.

The new Mareterra eco-district © Principauté de Monaco – SAM Anse du Portier – Valode & Pistre Architectes – Renzo Piano Building Workshop – Michel Desvigne

The recent renovation of the nearby Larvotto beach, with its new shops and restaurants, is an additional asset that will enable congress participants to enjoy all that Monaco has to offer close to the congress centre.

The expansion will allow the Grimaldi Forum to build upon its current ability to host an average of 100 events and 250,000 visitors per year, and will enable more events to be held simultaneously.

Click on the gallery below to see more images of the new-look Grimaldi Forum…

 

Photos source: GRIMALDI FORUM Monaco

 

 

 

 

ASM reach €100m deal with Real Madrid for Tchouaméni

by: Luke Entwistle
08/06/2022

After plenty of speculation, AS Monaco have reportedly agreed to sell midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni to Real Madrid in an agreement worth over €100 million, the second highest ever paid for a Ligue 1 player.

Rumours surrounding Tchouaméni’s departure have swirled for months. Real Madrid have always maintained a strong interest in the France international midfielder, whilst Ligue 1 rivals PSG entered the fold in the past weeks. Liverpool also had a strong interest, and Fabrizio Romano reported that manager Jurgen Klopp had even established personal contact with the Bordeaux academy product.

Ultimately, however, it is Real Madrid who have prevailed, although they aren’t the only benefactors from the saga. The package of the deal is yet to be fully confirmed, but RMC have reported that Real Madrid will pay €80 million upfront, €20 million in bonuses (€10 million of which will be easily triggered), and then a 19% tax on the deal to the Spanish government.

Monaco will make a tidy profit on a player who cost them just €18 million back in January 2020. The fee is also the second-highest paid for a player from a Ligue 1 club after Kylian Mbappé, also from Monaco, to PSG for €18 million in 2018. This most recent deal shines a positive light on Monaco’s model of developing players and selling them for profit.

Bordeaux, who sold Tchouaméni to Monaco back in 2020, are also set for a windfall. The club are entitled to 10% of the profit made on the player, and will therefore receive approximately €6 million from the sale.

Monaco must now set about what Philippe Clement described to L’Équipe as an “impossible” task: replacing Tchouaméni. Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma and Lille’s Amadou Onana have both been linked to Monaco by Saber Desfarges, whilst Eliot Matazo, who signed a contract extension with Monaco earlier this season, can also expect to feature more prominently in 2022/23.

The deal has not officially been announced by any club, although it is only a matter of time before the agreement between the clubs is made public. For Monaco, the transfer represents very good business. Tchouméni’s departure has been an inevitability for some time, but his progression this year has garnered a higher fee, whilst the timing of the deal affords Monaco time in their hunt for a replacement.

 

Photo of Aurélien Tchouaméni by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

 

 

 

Museum Festival: fun for the whole family

by: Cassandra Tanti
08/06/2022

The third edition of the Museum Festival is taking place this Saturday at the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco, and everyone is invited to come and reconnect with the ocean.

In collaboration with the Friends of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco (AAMOM), the museum is hosting a day of festivities dedicated to the health and beauty of the ocean.

On Saturday 11th June, people aged three to 14 and their families are invited to dive (without a mask) into the marine world through a rich program of activities including workshops, plays, treasure hunts, crafts, and film screenings.

They will also be able to discover ‘Polar Mission’, the new immersive and interactive exhibition at the Oceanographic Museum. From an exploration of the poles to the wildlife they shelter, through to the people who populate and explore them, the public is invited to embark on a mission to the North Pole and the South Pole. Objects and documents, digital content and immersive devices come together and complement each other for a 360° experience.

Admission to the museum is free on Saturday for children under four years old and members of the AAMOM. Adult tickets are €18, and €12 for a child. The festival program is included in the ticket price.

SEE ALSO:

Museum Festival: fun for the whole family

 

 

Record-breaking month of May

by: Stephanie Horsman
08/06/2022

Temperatures during several days of May hit up to 7ºC above normal, setting new records. Does this mean a hot summer is in store?

May has been an unusually warm one this year, with the mercury soaring in Monaco and the south of France, making for an unexpectedly early summer.

According to Meteo France, this record-busting heat wave is caused by an area of high pressure that stretches from North Africa to Scandinavia, bringing warmer than average temperatures, both day and night.

Overall in May, temperatures were 2.7ºC higher than normal in France, with the average hovering at 17.8º. But in parts of southern France, temperatures reached close to 30ºC or more. Meanwhile, rainfall averages were down to a mere 29.3mm, 18% less than the all-time lows of 1989, and 65% below normal.

Nationally, there were eight consecutive days, from Sunday 15th May to Sunday 22nd May, with a daily average temperature greater than or equal to 20°C. Such a series had not occurred in May since 1947. The previous record was six days, from 25th to 30th May 2017.

Locally, a number of records were set in May. Monaco, Menton, Nice, Antibes and Cannes all broke previous records with temperatures over 30ºC. The average temperature in the region was 19.7ºC, making it the second hottest May on record.

Overall, this May will now go down as the hottest since record-taking began in France, beating out the previous records set in May 2011 by a full 1.9ºC.

Despite May being a scorcher, Meteo France says it is not a precursor to an overly hot summer, though they do believe that warmer May weather may become more frequent due to climate change.

 

 

Photo of Larvotto Beach in May by Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life

 

 

 

Battling Pau fight back in playoff series

by: Luke Entwistle
08/06/2022

AS Monaco Basketball didn’t seize the chance to secure their place in the Betclic Elite final on Tuesday, as Pau-Lacq-Orthez hit back (82-76) to reignite the series amidst a fervent atmosphere.

In defeat, Monaco have been pegged back to 2-1, and whilst they will still be considered strong favourites to advance to the five-legged final later this month, they must now react to their first setback in a series that had thus far gone entirely their way.

A reaction from Pau could have been expected. Having lost both ties at the Salle Gaston Médécin last week, their survival in the series was on the line. Their players knew it and so did their fans, who packed into the Palais des Sports de Pau to create a hostile environment for the visiting Monégasques.

In both of the previous ties, Monaco managed to pull away and control the match from an early stage, but it became quickly apparent that they wouldn’t do so again here. For the first time in the series, the sides looked evenly matched, and neither side managed to pull away.

For the home side, Justin Bibbins and Brandon Jefferson were prolific outside the key, and allowed Pau to stave off any attack from Monaco, as their clinical efficiency made the difference.

As always, Mike James was the man making things happen for Monaco. He and Dwayne Bacon chipped in with considerable points contributions, but Monaco simply couldn’t match the precision of their adversary, whilst a stout rear guard from Pau compacted the space for James to exploit within the key.

Going into the final-quarter, Monaco had a three-point deficit to overturn (65-62), and although the scores remained close, Pau pulled away in the dying minutes with an exhibition in three-point finishing. The home side were deserved winners (82-76) and took the series to a fourth match, once again in Pau on Thursday.

Post-match, Sasa Obradovic praised the level of his opponent: “We must congratulate Pau. They played very well. For me, there was no difference between them and a Euroleague side this evening. When we face them, we must match their energy, and it wasn’t easy in this atmosphere. They took confidence.”

Obradovic concluded, “We have to be more focused if we want to win this series.” The Roca Team coach will be hoping that a strong response from his team can silence the home crowd, end the series and secure a place in the Betclic Elite final.

 

Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball

 

 

 

ASM Women lose first-leg of their promotion tie

by: Luke Entwistle
08/06/2022

AS Monaco Women were dealt a blow in their quest to gain promotion to D2 on Sunday, as they lost the first-leg of their promotion play-off to Bourges.

Having won every match of the regular season, their fate now hinges on the return leg, which is to take place at the Stade Prince Héréditaire de Beausoleil on Sunday.

Given their record over the duration of the season, it is not beyond Monaco to overturn the narrow one goal deficit. The setback came late in the second-half as a goalkeeping error allowed a tame effort from outside the box to dribble over the line.

Should they beat Bourges on Sunday, they will then advance to the final round, which will take place on 19th and 26th July to decide their promotion to D2. If successful, it will be a memorable season for the side, who also went on an inspiring Coupe de France run.