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Heritage classified

Key figures

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.

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