Following an international competition won by Michel Desvigne Paysagistes and Foster+Partners, the city of Marseille commissioned the architects to improve the old port ahead of their hosting European Capital of Culture in 2013. The harbor front was reorganized, traffic redirected and a pavilion and new marinas built. Within that development, the Industrial Design Team designed new public furniture to withstand the harsh sea environment and be vandal-proof (against the notorious local football hooligans). A bench, waste bins, bike racks, railings and bollards have been designed to fit into the over-all development.