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MAMO : Centre d'art de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier à Marseille 8ème dans les Bouches-du-Rhône

Musée d'Art contemporain
Musée d'Art contemporain
Musée de l'architecture et du patrimoine

MAMO : Centre d'art de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier

    280 Boulevard Michelet
    13008 Marseille
Private property; property of the municipality
MAMO Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
MAMO : Centre dart de la Cité Radieuse du Corbusier
Crédit photo : Picasa 3.0 - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1945
MRU command
14 octobre 1947
First stone laid
14 octobre 1952
Inauguration
2013
Establishment of MAMO
17 juillet 2016
UNESCO classification
1986, 1995, 2023
Historical monuments
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The facades; the terrace and its facilities; the entire portico and its space; inside, the following common areas: the entrance hall, the traffic spaces with equipment (except elevators), the apartment for the visit (number 643) (box C 4): classification by order of 20 June 1986 - Apartment number 50, including all the elements designed for cooking (Box C 4): classification by order of 12 October 1995; The park of the housing unit, known as the Cité Radieuse, including the garbage collection post and the house next to the west entrance, located 280 boulevard Michelet, on parcels Nos. 27 and 30 of section 844 C of the cadastre, as shown in red for the built and pink parts for the parts not built on the plan annexed to the decree: classification by order of 19 December 2023

Key figures

Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris (Le Corbusier) - Architect Designer of the Radious City.
Charlotte Perriand - Designer Creator of modular kitchens.
Ora-ïto - Designer Founder of MAMO in 2013.
Eugène Claudius-Petit - Minister for Reconstruction Support for the innovative project.
Vladimir Bodiansky - Engineer Directs the Workshop of Builders (AtBat).

Origin and history

The Radious City of Marseille, also known as Housing unit, was built between 1947 and 1952 by architect Le Corbusier (1887-1965) as part of the post-war reconstruction. Sponsored in 1945 by the Ministry of Reconstruction and Urbanism (MRU), it embodies an innovative response to the social housing crisis. The project aims to create an autarchic "vertical village", comprising 337 housing units, shops, a hotel, a kindergarten and community facilities on a publicly accessible roof terrace. The inauguration took place on 14 October 1952, marking a break with traditional urban planning.

The building, 137 meters long and 56 meters high, rests on 36 8.50 meters stilts, releasing ground space for pedestrian traffic. Inspired by the Modulor (system of proportions based on the number of gold and human morphology), it organizes the housing in duplexes crossing, with "inner streets" favoring social interactions. The raw concrete facades, sunbreak loggias and bright door colours reflect a crude and functional aesthetic. In 2013, the roof gymnasium was transformed into a contemporary art centre, the MAMO, by the designer Ora-ïto.

Listed as a historical monument in 1986 (and then in 1995 and 2023), the Cité radieuse is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016 among 17 works by Le Corbusier. Its typical apartment (E2), designed with Charlotte Perriand, illustrates the ideal of a modular and bright accommodation. Despite criticism in the 1970s for its influence on large ensembles, it remains a symbol of modern utopia, attracting tourists and wealthy residents. A fire in 2012 and subsequent restorations highlighted the challenges of preserving this pioneering concrete.

The site is part of a post-Second World War context, where France seeks to rebuild social housing quickly. The MRU oversees projects such as the renovation of the Old Port of Marseille or the Saint-Just cities. The Radious City, with its collective facilities (pool, open-air theatre, shopping gallery), materializes the vision of Eugene Claudius-Petit, Minister of Reconstruction, for whom Le Corbusier "turns housing into public service". Its local nickname, the House of Fada (the house of the madman), testifies to its avant-garde character.

The building workshop (AtBat), created by Le Corbusier with engineers such as Vladimir Bodiansky, oversees construction. Five similar housing units will be built in France and Germany, but Marseille, the first, remains the most emblematic. Today, its urban park and its visual perspectives on the sea are protected to avoid any risk of decommissioning by UNESCO. Events such as the Chanel parade of 2024 are organized there, confirming its status as a cultural icon.

External links

Conditions of visit

  • Conditions de visite : Ouvert toute l'année
  • Contact organisation : 01 42 46 00 09