Place
Parc des Chantiers / HAB Galerie
HAB Galerie
Permanent space dedicated to contemporary art

Located at the westernmost tip of Île de Nantes, Hangar 21 is better known by its moniker, Hangar à Bananes (aka, the “Banana Hangar) due to its unique history: designed in 1949-50, it was built to receive exotic fruit from Africa — like bananas and pineapples — which were then unloaded and stored in this air-conditioned hangar.

As property of the port of Nantes Saint-Nazaire, it was renovated to host the first edition of the Estuaire Nantes <> Saint-Nazaire art biennial in 2007, where it was used as a vast exhibition space.

Dubbed the HAB Galerie in 2011 — and managed by the public corporation Le Voyage à Nantes, which promotes Nantes and the surrounding region as a travel destination using culture — this permanent space is dedicated to contemporary art. Exhibitions here offer an opportunity to explore an artist’s work, which is planned and completed in-situ, whether it features videos, sculptures, paintings, installations — or all the above.

HAB Galerie also boasts an excellent bookstore- gift shop, with a wide array of publications on contemporary art, art history, architecture, design, graphic novels, children’s books, and a selection of original objects made by local creatives.

Previous exhibitions

Nantes is transforming

Nantes is changing to become an even more ecological, inclusive, and dynamic city. To do this, new public works will reinforce our already existing ecofriendly modes of transport: new tram lines, green zones for pedestrians and cyclists, and more. From 2024, these major urban projects will disrupt traffic around Les Machines de l’Île and Parc des Chantiers, with the Pont Anne-de-Bretagne bridge closed off to cars (the bridge will remain accessible to pedestrians and cyclists). Solutions will be offered throughout construction to make it easier for everyone to get around, like: increased frequency of several public transport lines, more Naolib bike-share bicycles, and more parking spots in park-and-ride lots.

For further information