TUBA
THE TUBA EXPERIENCE
The Tuba project is breathing fresh life into one of the venerable spaces in Marseille, with records showing that a bar and a restaurant already existed on the site more than a century ago in 1908.
The building was partially destroyed by the bombings in August 1944 at the end of World War II. It was sold in 1946 and became the hotel Les Roches Blanches. Then, in the 1970s, a pizzeria was added on the street level with a large terrace. Later, the building was sold and split into
two parts: a restaurant, L’Escale, and a nightclub, the Kon Tiki, in the lower part of the structure. These gave way to a scuba diving club in the 1980s that opened onto the sea. The club soon acquired an excellent reputation among those mermen and mermaids who are passionate about diving, snorkeling, and underwater fishing.
Photography by Florian Touzet
And among the many club members was the famed free diver Jacques Mayol, often accompanied by his comrade Falco, captain of Jacques Cousteau’s boat, the RV Calypso.
Over the years, the club acquired three boats and moored them in the waters of the Les Goudes port. But, sadly, the club eventually sank into oblivion.
Now, it’s at this hidden spot, at the entrance of the fishing village of Les Goudes, that Tuba has become a sanctuary for friends, idlers, purists, and fervent defenders of letting go. Fittingly, Tuba, which is the French word for snorkel, is a link between sea and land, water and minerals. It’s on a piece of rock that is (practically) at the end of the world. Five rooms on the water, a
breathtaking view, a table exposed to the sea spray. And that’s all you need.
Photography by Florian Touzet
THE FACES BEHIND TUBA
Transforming a scuba club meant taking a plunge. And who was behind the snorkels and wetsuits? Grégory Gassa and Fabrice Denizot, two forty-somethings from Marseille who spent long spells in Paris, London, and New York. After working in fashion, Grégory opened beautiful eateries for refined tastes; as for Fabrice, a film producer, he saw this as his most wonderful script opportunity yet. This pair dropped anchor here with the desire to honor the place’s superb origins.
Photography by Florian Touzet
It was also a chance to welcome people who lived like they had once lived – never stopping, never hitting the “pause” button on their 24/7 lives – and let them contemplate and be lazy for once. Tuba is dedicated to them. Designed by Marion Mailaender, the space is authentic and pure.
Without artifice. It is just right. Right where it should be, right as it should be. And it embraces luxury in its simplest form.
Photography by Florian Touzet
Inside, the tone is immediately set. Greg & Fab invite people into their “home”, a cabin full of friends, a cabin created for friends and BY friends! The first one who came? The architect Marion Mailaender.
A childhood companion, she was a natural choice to express the Tuba story, to accentuate the structural legacy, and to showcase the glory of the surroundings.
There are no barriers here, the rooms, restaurants, rocky beaches, and Mediterranean waters form a harmonious whole. Tuba is 350m2 of exceptional space, the only thing on the horizon is sea and friends.
The minimalism is reminiscent of the Cabanon built by Le Corbusier and is an ode to a lifestyle like the one depicted on the walls of the Etoile de Mer bar.
The architect has instinctively played with genres and eras. She evokes seaside memories with touching accuracy. The décor is a delightful mix of upcycled furniture and raw materials, and it cleverly blends stone and wood, pearls and shells, natural colors and fluorescent ropes.
The end result is a perfect fusion of a traditional dive club and a peaceful haven where local artisans and artists are given pride of place. Outside, sun loungers with mellow, yellow stripes and wooden tables washed out by the sun meet at the water’s edge.
And since each year more than 600 000 tons of waste plastic end up in the Mediterranean, Tuba bans everything it can: no plastic straws, no disposable cups, no packaged soaps, and no cleaning products with dubious ingredients!
Booking & info:
2 bd
Alexandre Delabre
13008 Marseille
Les Goudes
+33 (0)6 07 17 19 01
Rooms start at 220€
hello@tuba-club.com
Special thanks to Agence MEWS Photography© Florian Touzet & Delaney Inamine
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