Bassins de Lumières – From Submarine Base to Digital Art Centre

Title: Bassins de Lumières – From Submarine Base to Digital Art Centre

Author: ASPON, ANHER & CSTI

Year: 2025

Type of Resource: Best practice

Copyright: © CultMed Project, 2025. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0

Short Description:
The Bassins de Lumières in Bordeaux is the world’s largest digital art centre, housed in a former German WWII submarine base. Transformed by Culturespaces, this immersive venue uses large-scale projections, soundscapes and light to present classical and contemporary art in a way that is accessible, emotional and visually captivating.

The site’s adaptive reuse is a powerful example of how difficult heritage can be transformed into a meaningful cultural experience. Through minimal new construction, efficient lighting systems and a respectful approach to architectural preservation, Bassins de Lumières offers a replicable model for other regions with disused military or industrial infrastructure seeking to create low-impact, high-value tourism attractions.

External Link: Click here.