The place
The J4 esplanade is a vast public promenade of approximately 20,000 m² built on the J4 jetty of the port of Marseille, a land area reclaimed from the sea in the 19th century and long dedicated to port activities. Its name comes from an old port warehouse, demolished in 1997, whose designation has remained embedded in Marseille's language. The site was completely redeveloped between 2009 and 2013 as part of Marseille-Provence 2013, European Capital of Culture. Since then, it has hosted the Mucem (Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean), inaugurated in 2013 and designed by architect Rudy Ricciotti, as well as the Villa Méditerranée. Bordered by Fort Saint-Jean, to which it is connected by a footbridge, the esplanade serves as an emblematic link between the Port of Joliette and the Old Port. It was officially renamed the Robert-Laffont promenade in 2014 and then the Gisèle-Halimi esplanade in 2024.
Films shot here
Taxi 5 (2018)
Directed by Franck Gastambide