From La Catène to the Citadel

For several months now, Le Havre Port Center has been preparing to move. The association’s team and operations will soon be taking up residence in part of the Citadelle Terminal (car ferries). After spending eight years in the former Ireland Terminal, the association, supported by its founding members (the City of Le Havre, Le Havre Seine Métropole, HAROPA-Port, the Seine Estuary Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Maritime and Port Union), is currently designing spaces that reflect its identity. The aim is to fully meet the needs of the association’s activities.

To this end, a consortium of exhibition designers and museum curators is supporting the team. The ambition is to offer different audiences multi-purpose spaces, all centred on exploring the industrial and port area.

The Le Havre Port Centre will be a vibrant hub within the Citadel. Acting as a vital link between the city and the port, this neighbourhood is undergoing a major transformation, giving the Le Havre Port Centre a prominent place.

Enhancing appeal and expanding the range of activities

This change of venue presents an opportunity to create a bespoke space, enrich the programme of activities and boost visitor numbers. Currently, the association welcomes 13,000 visitors a year, including 7,000 schoolchildren and students, 4,000 members of the public and 2,000 professionals. Tours, workshops, activities and exhibitions form the core of what is on offer. 

This new venue will allow for a significant expansion of the space dedicated to the trades and activities of the industrial and port area. This theme will form the backbone around which educational materials, hands-on activities and events will be expanded.

The Le Havre Port Centre, which rents out its rooms to professionals, will feature modern, fully equipped reception and conference areas. As a taster, the giant satellite map, which is currently so popular, will be on display and kept up to date. 

Building on the popularity of this feature, the association will install another giant map, measuring 227 m², on the ground floor.

This map will depict the Seine corridor, stretching from Le Havre to Bonneuil-sur-Marne in the Paris region. 

In order to relocate the equipment and optimise the layout of the second floor of the Terminal de la Citadelle (car ferries), the current space will close its doors on 30 July 2023. The team will move at the end of the summer. The refurbishment work will then take place between autumn 2023 and spring 2024.

Maintaining activities for all visitors 

Le Havre Port Center will continue to offer the majority of its activities during this closure period. Outdoor tours, whether for school groups, professionals or members of the public, will continue and be adapted. For educational purposes, a specific 2023–2024 programme will enable activities to be held in schools within the urban community or in outdoor spaces. Finally, Le Havre Port Centre will continue to be present at local events
and is preparing initiatives to engage with the public.

We look forward to seeing you when we reopen. In the meantime, the various programmes will be available on the association’s website.

To find out more about LH PORT CENTER: https://lehavreportcenter.com/

Sources: LHPC press release, 5 May 2023