Custom sails for a terrace in Cannes

Few places evoke an imagery of elegance, cosmopolitan lifestyle, and quality of life as strongly as Cannes: an international symbol of the French Riviera, the city continues to be a benchmark destination also for high-end hospitality and fine dining. Within this context stands Palm Beach Cannes, a historic building inaugurated in 1929 and now reborn as a luxury hub, hosting exclusive restaurants, boutique, and private event spaces. It has also become the ideal location for Zuma Cannes, the first French outpost of the renowned international contemporary Japanese dining brand, now enjoys it this way a privileged position overlooking the sea and the Lérins Islands.

In this setting, the design of outdoor spaces became a strategic priority: the restaurant’s panoramic terrace had to become a welcoming and refined environment, capable of ensuring comfort and protection without compromising visual continuity with the surrounding landscape. A site calling for an advanced technical solution that would also be lightweight and perfectly integrated into both architecture and place. This requirement was met by KE Contract division, by developing a tailor-made project based on the installation of eleven Kheope K3 shading sails, covering an area of approximately 500 square meters. Inspired by the nautical world, Kheope interprets the concept of shading through an essential and contemporary language: a large sail evoking the sea, the wind, and the freedom of open spaces, elements deeply rooted in the identity of the French Riviera. The visual lightness of the structure and the purity of its lines preserve the perception of the landscape, enhancing the extraordinary view over the Mediterranean.

Versatile and scenographic, Kheope is designed to create large shaded areas while maintaining high environmental comfort. Alongside its aesthetic qualities, the textile system recalls nautical craftsmanship, while its technical performance ensures effective UV filtering and constant air circulation. For Zuma Cannes, Tempotest Starlight resin-coated fabric 6090/200 in a sand tone was selected, a choice that enhances solar shading while also harmonizing chromatically with the natural hues of the coastline and the architectural context. A decisive factor was the level of customization developed for the project. The specific nature of the terrace and the ambition to create a dynamic composition led to the design of bespoke “tree-like” poles. These elements make it possible to connect sails positioned at different heights and with different attachments, such as boom starts or sail return points, generating an elegant overlapping effect. The result is a configuration that amplifies the perception of movement and lightness, evoking a cluster of sails suspended above the sea.

This customization process also extends to technical systems: the eleven sails are in fact independent and equipped with motorized movement, allowing flexible management of the spaces according to weather conditions and the operational needs of the restaurant. In addition, a dedicated misting system was integrated into the project to improve thermal comfort at different times of the day. The Zuma Cannes project exemplifies KE’s approach to outdoor design—namely, the ability to engineer the genius loci with levels of customization that not only ensure peak performance but also imbue projects with meaningful added value. In an iconic location like Palm Beach Cannes, where every detail contributes to the overall experience, the Kheope canopy demonstrates how a structure of this kind can become a distinctive architectural element, capable of engaging with the landscape and the weight of a profound cultural history, such as that of the French Riviera.