This series documents the riverside of La Loire –– Nantes was formed along this river and its port has long been the main reason for its development. The port was livened up by the loading and unloading ships and by shipyards until the 80’s. Now, boats with drafts ever deeper have to dock at St Nazaire, further downstream. Today, these places do not have the function for which they were built: they have instead become residual spaces although they are the heart of the city. My purpose in this photo essay is to reveal the atmosphere that the water gives to these linear altered territories.

Benoît Chailleux was born in 1973, and grew up in the suburb of Nantes, France. He is an architect and photographer. www.benoitchailleux.com.