Opposite the Fosse wharf, the île de Nantes used to be partially occupied by ship-building sites. Closed in 1987, the site has been entirely rehabilitated in order to breathe new life and identity into this town. The île de Nantes, rich in wide-open spaces, is now the scene of economic activities, higher education, housing and culture and leisure pastimes. The Fabrique, a laboratory of music and digital arts, among others, illustrates this cultural and touristic boom which has become synonymous with the island's successful development project.