Initial design 1950 (années) (≈ 1950)
Project of 3 units for 3,500 housing units.
1965
Start of work
Start of work 1965 (≈ 1965)
Le Corbusier died this year.
1967
Inauguration
Inauguration 1967 (≈ 1967)
Finished by André Wogenscky.
1985
North Wing Closure
North Wing Closure 1985 (≈ 1985)
Underoccupation and deficits.
1993
First ranking
First ranking 1993 (≈ 1993)
Fronts, roofs and school protected.
2010
Second ranking
Second ranking 2010 (≈ 2010)
Hall and witness apartment classified.
2012
Partial rehabilitation
Partial rehabilitation 2012 (≈ 2012)
Installation of a UNESCO Master.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
The facades and roofs of the housing unit, as well as the school inside the building (Case A1 1689, 1691, 1695, 1697, 1699, 1701, 1703): classification by decree of 9 September 1993 - The entrance hall, as well as the so-called "wallpaper" apartment of the housing unit (case AY 3, placed the Bruneaux, lot 7 for the apartment): classification by order of 24 September 2010
Key figures
Le Corbusier (Charles-Edouard Jeanneret) - Architect
Designer of the unit, died in 1965.
André Wogenscky - Associate architect
Completed the project after 1965.
Eugène Claudius-Petit - Mayor of Firminy
Initiator of the Firminy-Vert project.
Origin and history
The housing unit of Firminy-Vert, imagined by Le Corbusier in the 1950s, was originally to be part of a set of three buildings totalling 3,500 housing units, accompanied by a shopping centre. However, the demographic stagnation of Firminy (25 000 inhabitants instead of the 50 000 planned) and the criticism of aesthetics deemed too imposing led to the abandonment of the other two units. Only that of Firminy-Vert was built, with notable budgetary compromises compared to the Radious City of Marseille, such as a parking lot on the surface instead of underground parking.
The work began in 1965, the year of Le Corbusier's death, and was completed by his disciple André Wogenscky, who inaugurated the building in 1967. With 17 levels and 414 duplexes (from T2 to T6), this unit became the largest of the five made in the world, extending 130 metres long and 51 metres high. The apartments, designed according to the Modulor, offered dual solar exposure thanks to a cross-sectional structure. Despite its social ambition, the building experienced a decline in the 1980s, with families moving to individual homes.
In 1985, the underoccupied northern wing was closed to reduce deficits, while the southern part remained inhabited. The kindergarten on the 16th floor, planned for the children of the three initial units, closed in 1999 for reasons of safety and under-representation. Since 2012, part of the premises has hosted a Master Erasmus Mundus from the University of Saint-Étienne, dedicated to heritage professions and cultural landscapes UNESCO. The unit, classified as a historical monument in 1993 and 2010, also houses a local radio (Radio Ondaine) and is partially visited, although the terrace is no longer freely accessible.
Built of raw concrete of de-forming with stilts, the unit illustrates the Corbusian principles: functionality, modularity and integration of collective equipment (school, post office box, solariums). Despite the summary finishes (un tiled pool, reduced insulation), it remains a symbol of 20th century urban utopia. Its history reflects the challenges of the great ensembles, between social ambition, economic constraints and changes in lifestyles.
The project was part of the framework of Firminy-Vert, led by Eugène Claudius-Petit, Mayor of Firminy and President of the HLM Municipal Office. The aim was to modernize the city through innovative cultural and residential facilities, including the House of Culture (initiated in 1965) and this housing unit. Today, the building, partially in condominium, bears witness to Le Corbusier's genius and the limits of his ideals, between architectural heritage and adaptation to contemporary needs.
