Jacques Rougerie is a world-renowned French visionary architect, academician and explorer of the future, specialising in marine, underwater and coastal habitats. Passionate about the sea and space, he bases his work and innovations on bio-inspired, resilient and sustainable architecture. His emblematic SeaOrbiter project, like the ISS in space, is an international ocean station dedicated to scientific research, exploration, climate studies and education.

For over 30 years, it has been developing projects for floating villages, as well as a base and a lunar village. He has designed several underwater habitats, including Galathée, Hippocampe and Aquabulle.

With the Rougerie+Tangram agency and the Rougerie+Tangram Lab, he has designed sea museums, sports and aquatic centres and major airport and service facilities in France and around the world. He is one of the architects of the Marina for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Marseille.

In 2009, he created the Jacques Rougerie Foundation - Academy of Fine Arts, housed at the Institut de France. Through its annual International Competition for Innovation and Architecture, dedicated to the future of coastal development and underwater and space habitats, the Foundation supports the visionary architectural projects of young architects, engineers and designers, and helps them bring their projects to fruition. It gives lectures around the world on the architecture of the future, combining the arts, science, technology and nature.

“It is from the ocean that will be born the destiny of civilisations to come.”

Language spoken: French

Photo credit: ARR