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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

Point Zero, located in La Grande-Motte, is a 20th-century historical monument marked by its bold architecture. Its most striking element is the pleated veil of concrete, which closes the Levant district. This building, now in a state of concern, housed municipal services before being abandoned. It symbolizes the architectural innovation of the city, created as part of the development of the Languedoc coast by the Racine mission.

Grande-Motte, conceived as a seaside town and a new city, is the integral work of a chief architect over 30 years. Point Zero, the main public equipment of the East Square, housed parking lots, beach services, shops and gardens. It is decorated with a sculpture wall made in 1967-68 by Michèle Goalard. The city won the 20th Century Heritage label in 2010, and Point Zero was listed as a Historic Monument in 2015.

The monument, owned by the municipality, is now threatened by risks of change of assignment in case of sale. Its architecture, combining functionality and aesthetics, reflects the urbanistic ambition of the Racine mission. The architect Jean Balladur is the architect, and his work illustrates the modernity of the 1960s and 1970s in the tourist development of the coast.

The Point Zero, with its gardens and buildings, has been fully protected since 2015. Its current abandonment contrasts with its central historical role in the seaside and social life of La Grande-Motte. The public terrace, protected from the winds by the wall-sculpture, bears witness to the attention paid to landscape integration and user comfort.

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