Studio TÉRé Turns 1960s Signal Box into Nantes Kiosk-Bar

A 1960s railway signal box on the Île de Nantes has reopened as L'Aiguilleuse, a 36-square-meter kiosk-bar designed by Studio Téré for the newly opened Jardins de l'Estuaire public park.

The building belonged to the Nantes-État railway infrastructure and once controlled train movements entering the station. As the surrounding railway landscape gradually disappeared, the signal box remained as a small but distinctive fragment of the site's industrial history. Rather than demolishing it, Studio Téré gave the structure a new public role: a place for meeting, resting and light catering that extends the life of the railway heritage while preserving its identity.

The compact floor plate dictated the design. With 36 square meters dedicated entirely to the kiosk-bar operation, the building's relationship with visitors plays out largely outside.

An open pavilion in red-orange

Studio Téré kept the interventions deliberately understated and legible. The ground floor opens widely onto the public space: three facades feature bi-fold windows and folding metal shutters that reveal the counter and turn the former technical building into an open pavilion connected to the surrounding park.

A red-orange color highlights the metalwork, joinery and facade lettering, reinforcing the building's presence in the landscape. Two large painted lettering compositions contribute to the new identity of the place.

The conversion preserves several characteristic elements of the former signal box, including the original clock and railway signalling lights. These elements are integrated into the new identity of the building and maintain a direct connection with its previous use.

A luminous signal at night

At night, the upper level becomes a luminous signal within the park — a deliberate echo of the building's original function. The program for the new venue was developed through a public consultation process involving local residents and future users.

The name carries its own layer of meaning. 'L'Aiguilleuse' refers to the former railway signal operators, and its feminine form contributes to a broader effort toward the feminisation of names in public space.

By transforming the signal box into a public venue, L'Aiguilleuse becomes a new urban landmark within a district undergoing major transformation.

Project information

• Name: L'Aiguilleuse
• Architect: Studio Téré
• Location: Nantes, France
• Floor area: 36 sqm
• Client: SAMOA – Société d'Aménagement de la Métropole Ouest Atlantique
• Photographer: Nina Ducleux