Le Nautilus du capitaine Nemo | ZYVA Studio | Anthony Authié

A Mediterranean dive in Marseille

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under Marseille

For this project, Zyva Studio transforms a 40 m² Marseille apartment into a subaquatic experience, freely inspired by Jules Verne’s novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

The space becomes the stage for an imaginary exploration, an immersion in a blue and sandy world where Captain Nemo might have dropped his anchor somewhere between the Mucem and La Major.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the Mediterranean, its light, its salt, its softness. Here, I wanted to create the feeling of diving without ever leaving the surface.”

Between Sand and Sea

The project revolves around a chromatic duo: the beige of sand and pale rock converses with the Mediterranean blue of the horizon.

Walls, ceilings, and furniture are all bathed in a soft blue, the color of fishermen’s cabins and boats moored in the port. Beige surfaces bring back the warmth of stone and sunlight, balancing the freshness of the sea.

“Beige is the heat of sun-warmed stone. Blue is light bouncing off the water. Together, they tell the story of Marseille, a city where sky and ground blend into one.”

The Nautilus Portholes

A central partition structures the space: on one side, the living room; on the other, the bedroom. Its singularity lies in a series of circular openings that punctuate the space like submarine portholes. They invite the eye to peek through, from the living room to the bedroom, from the bedroom back to the living room.

They mark the transition between day and night, between two worlds. The round forms continue through mirrors, light fixtures, and arched doorways, shaping a fluid, organic architecture.

“There’s something playful about portholes. They’re not just windows, they’re portals to other landscapes.”

The Bathroom, a Space for Solitude

The bathroom feels more enigmatic. Draped in blue marble, it evokes a plunge into a mineral cave. It’s a space for silence and introspection, conceived as a place of retreat.

“I like to imagine bathrooms as spaces for contemplation, the place of exposure, of facing oneself, stripped of all disguise.”

A Striped Deck Underfoot

The flooring alternates pale wood and honey oak strips, forming a horizontal marinière pattern, a nod to sailors’ uniforms, but also to La Major cathedral, whose stripes can be seen from the balcony. This motif anchors the project in Marseille, weaving local heritage into the design.

“I rarely use parquet. I needed to twist it a little, to turn it into a pattern. These stripes reassure me, they give the material a rhythm.”

Between Geometric Rigor and Liquid Softness

Here, water shapes geometry. Every edge is softened, every partition curves, every threshold seems polished by the waves. The rigor of the drawing meets the suppleness of the form, giving the place a calm, almost liquid rhythm. “In water, nothing is abrupt.

Everything glides, everything softens. I imagined this apartment as if it had been polished by the sea.”

Creatures from the Deep

Each piece of furniture takes the form of an imaginary Mediterranean creature: urchin handles, spiky lamps, jellyfish-shaped sockets, everything feels alive, ready to move or breathe. Designed by the studio, these objects compose a hybrid fauna, somewhere between sculpture and toy, science fiction and seaside.

“As a kid, I used to collect sea urchins and pebbles. I’ve kept that taste for things both spiky and round.”

Anthony Authié, the submarine Captain

Photographed within the space, Anthony Authié embodies a drifting Captain Nemo. He navigates between objects and memories. Beneath his conical skull, he stores his dreams and sketches before transcribing them into his logbook. This playful yet melancholic staging turns the space into a fictional set.

“A space is never truly complete until it’s lived in. Here, I had fun becoming my own character, caught between a childhood dream and a movie set.”

Location / Marseille

Architect / Zyva studio

Area / 40sqm

Completion / 2025

Credit pictures / Yohann Fontaine