Official opening of the Calypso office building and the Golden Tulip Marseille Euromed hotel****

A major new stage in the development of the Euromed Center

After two years of work, the joint investors, Crédit Agricole Assurances and Foncière des Régions, along with the joint real estate developers, Altarea Cogedim and Crédit Agricole Immobilier, are officially opening the new Calypso office building and the Golden Tulip Marseille Euromed hotel. This is a key stage in the development of the Euromed Center project confirming its appeal and demonstrating its role in transforming the urban landscape of Marseille.

With its model and pioneering project planning, Euromed Center is today entering a new phase in its development. Following the delivery and leasing in 2015 of some 15,000 m² of the first office building, Astrolabe, the project is continuing and the partners are today officially opening two new significant developments.

The second office building in the cluster, Calypso, today runs the length of the Boulevard Euroméditerranée. With its six floors and 9,200 m², the building is truly an urban landmark with its shimmering gold façade. Its open views over the Mediterranean landscape and the Jardin d'Arenc garden at its feet, together with its flexible space bathed in natural light, make Calypso the location of choice for public and private organisations seeking high quality work spaces which fit their requirements.

In line with the neighbourhood's innovative aspirations in planning terms, Calypso embodies the project stakeholders' vision of a building for tomorrow. The building's ground and first floors will very shortly be offering spaces for collaborative working that blend co-working and flexible office space and provide a warm and contemporary ambiance. The building will also enjoy the ample range of services provided by Euromed Center and which are available to all tenants.

Calypso's first tenants will move in during the coming months. The building is currently 30% rented and discussions about the remaining space are ongoing.

Connected to the Calypso and overlooking the Place Henri Verneuil, the Golden Tulip Marseille Euromed hotel opened its doors on 18 April 2016. As the hotel chain's second establishment in Marseille and an essential component of the new neighbourhood, the four-star hotel with 210 rooms and suites occupies nine floors with a surface area of 10,000 m². The establishment offers a new approach to hotel accommodation that meets both new business tourism and also leisure needs. Golden Tulip Marseille Euromed has opted for contemporary décor, strongly reflecting the inspiration provided by its Mediterranean setting. This approach inculcates a sense of well-being and immerses the guests in the atmosphere of southern France where heat, sun, light and wind all meet.

The ambition of the Golden Tulip Marseille Euromed hotel is moreover to be a part of the Joliette quartier's living space and, in particular, has:

• a 162-cover restaurant directed by the chef Cyrille Repetto with a menu prepared in collaboration with Michelin-starred chef, Philippe Renard,
• two bars (on the ground floor and on level 2),
• a well-being centre (on level 2) with indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, lounge bar and large terrace (160 m²),
• a 400 m² flexible seminar centre.

At the same time, the other components of the Euromed Center programme are progressing. The Hermione (10,600 m²) and Floréal (13,700 m²) office buildings are under construction with delivery dates of mid-2017 and end 2017 respectively. Situated opposite the Jardin d'Arenc garden, the future EuropaCorp Cinémas La Joliette multiplex will be situated in the pedestrian mall extension. With more than 2,800 seats and 14 screens, EuropaCorp Cinémas La Joliette will be a welcoming, modern and unusual new venue. Work will begin in the second half of 2016 with the provisional opening date set for mid-2018.

In future, the neighbourhood as a whole, together with the pedestrian mall and its 2,000 m² of retail outlets, will provide a vibrant living space open to everyone - office workers, hotel residents, multiplex customers, local residents and visitors from all walks of life.