Sainte-Dévote electrical substation to blend into rock face
By Zak Jackson, MonacoViews Editorial
Monaco's communal council has approved the aesthetic design for an SMEG substation extension in the Vallon Sainte-Dévote, to be faced in natural stone and planting.
The Vallon Sainte-Dévote will soon host an upgraded electrical substation designed to disappear into its rocky surroundings. At the last sitting of the communal council, elected members gave their opinion on the appearance of the project, one of two urban planning schemes discussed that day, as SMEG moves to replace ageing transformers with modern equipment.
Rather than a visible industrial structure, the extension will be clad in natural stone and softened with vegetation, an approach the State has pushed for given the site's position within one of Monaco's more rugged natural corridors. The vallon runs close to the base of the Rocher and sees heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic, particularly around the Sainte-Dévote chapel and the start of the Grand Prix circuit, making visual integration a priority for planners.
For residents and property owners in the surrounding streets, the upgrade means more resilient electricity infrastructure without a lasting change to the character of the area. SMEG's modernisation of transformer stations has been an ongoing, largely unseen part of Monaco's infrastructure renewal, and this project signals that even utilitarian works are now subject to the same aesthetic scrutiny applied to building facades elsewhere in the Principality.