The future of Fort Boyard, a French military fortress on the Atlantic coast made famous by a television show, is being studied in Belgium.
Researchers at the Coastal & Ocean Basin (COB) at the University of Ghent in Ostend have constructed a miniature replica to study the effects of waves on the fortress.
The model, built to one-thirtieth the scale of the actual fort, accurately replicates the original’s rounded edges and precisely spaced openings on three levels.
Belgian coastal and maritime engineers are testing the structure’s strength, stability, and resistance to erosion and flooding as part of a major renovation planned for 2028.
“We generate real storm waves, allowing us to improve the initial design of the fort for the renovation,” said Peter Troch, a project lead and professor at the University of Ghent. “This is a form of project validation before construction begins.”
Much focus is on the fort’s two ends, where protective structures will be rebuilt to guard against ocean waves.
At the front, there is the spur facing northwest, and at the back, there is a port or “landing harbour” for visitors from 2028, weather permitting.
Technicians monitor data from water sensors around the wave basin, paying close attention to the breakwater wall at the front spur to assess its effectiveness.
“With climate change, future sea conditions are uncertain,” noted a specialist from the University of Ghent.
“If we can reduce wave energy propagation, we also limit erosion, which has been a significant factor in the fortress’s degradation,” she added.
Built between 1803 and 1857, Fort Boyard was initially a military structure and later a prison before falling into disrepair. It was classified as a historical monument and bought by television producer Jacques Antoine in 1988, who then sold it to the Charente-Maritime department for a symbolic franc under the condition they maintain it.
Currently closed to the public, Fort Boyard continues to host the filming of the global hit TV show “Fort Boyard” every spring from March to June. The show, launched in France in 1990, has produced over 1,500 episodes in around 40 countries.
Renovation work, set to begin this summer, is estimated at €36 million excluding tax. Three-quarters of the funding has been secured, with a public donation campaign launched in mid-December to raise the remaining €9 million, banking on the site’s popularity.
