The Machines of the Isle of Nantes
Located in the heart of the city of Nantes, between two branches of the Loire River, the Île de Nantes is full of secrets and wonders.
Les Machines de l'Île is an artistic project inspired by Jules Verne's ‘invented worlds,’ Leonardo da Vinci's mechanical universe, and the industrial history of Nantes. All this on the site of the city's former shipyards.
The aim is to rehabilitate buildings symbolic of Nantes' industrial and maritime culture to welcome an intergenerational audience, such as the Grande Nef.
We invite you to come and discover the majestic iron elephant. Standing 12 metres tall and weighing almost 50 tonnes of steel and wood, this imposing mechanical animal is sure to amaze young and old alike! Climb aboard for a ride around the Île de Nantes and discover an unusual urban landscape.
Come and lose yourself in the Galerie des Machines, a veritable laboratory where the machines built in the workshop are tested. The visit is punctuated by the machinists who bring the strange creatures under the naves to life.
Let yourself be carried away by the sublime carousel of the Mondes Marins, an imposing 25-metre-high structure on three levels where you will fly among sea monsters such as giant crabs, squids and exploration vehicles...
Les Machines de l'Île is an artistic project inspired by Jules Verne's ‘invented worlds,’ Leonardo da Vinci's mechanical universe, and the industrial history of Nantes. All this on the site of the city's former shipyards.
The aim is to rehabilitate buildings symbolic of Nantes' industrial and maritime culture to welcome an intergenerational audience, such as the Grande Nef.
We invite you to come and discover the majestic iron elephant. Standing 12 metres tall and weighing almost 50 tonnes of steel and wood, this imposing mechanical animal is sure to amaze young and old alike! Climb aboard for a ride around the Île de Nantes and discover an unusual urban landscape.
Come and lose yourself in the Galerie des Machines, a veritable laboratory where the machines built in the workshop are tested. The visit is punctuated by the machinists who bring the strange creatures under the naves to life.
Let yourself be carried away by the sublime carousel of the Mondes Marins, an imposing 25-metre-high structure on three levels where you will fly among sea monsters such as giant crabs, squids and exploration vehicles...
