La Cité Radieuse, Le Corbusier, in Marseille

This is the first and most famous of Le Corbusier's "Cité Radieuse" (radiant city) located in Marseille (also know as "La Maison du Fada". 

It was built between 1947-1952. One of Le Corbusier's most famous works, it proved enormously influential and is often cited as the initial inspiration of the Brutalist architectural style and philosophy.

The building is constructed in béton brut (rough concrete), as the hoped for steel frame proved too expensive in light of post war shortages.

The unité in Marseille is pending designation as a World Heritagle site by UNESCO. It is designated a historic monument by the french Ministry of Culture. It was damaged by fire on February 9, 2012. 

The Marseille building, developed with Le Corbusier's designers Shadrach Woods, Georges Candilis, comprises 337 apartments arranged over 12 stories, all suspended on large piloti.

The building also incorporates shops with architectural bookshop, medical and educational facilities, a hotel which is open to the public, and a gastronomes restaurant, "Le Ventre de l'Architecte". 

Inside, the corridors run through the centre of the long axis of every third floor of the building, with each apartment lying on two levels, and stretching from one side of the building to the other, with a balcony. Unlike many of the interior system, built blocks it inspired, which lack the original's generous proportions, communal facilities and parkland setting, the Unité is popular with its residents and now mainly occupied by upper middle class professionals.

The flat roof is designed as a communal terrace with sculptural ventilation stacks, a running track, and a shallow pool for children. There is also a Children's Art school in the atelier. The roof, where a number of the theatrical performances have taken place, underwent renovation in 2010 and since 2013 it hosts an exhibition centre. It has unobstructed views of the Mediterranean and Marseille and can be access by public. 

On the roof it is designed to look like a boat. 

I live very close to the building, I've always seen it from outside and I didn't really like how it looked. Like other Brutalism buildings. I found it very impressive. 

Living room and kitchen palette

Children nursery palette 

Parental bedroom palette 

Inspirations : I really like the colours used everywhere win the building. There were lots of blue for the sea and green for the nature. The app arts had specific colours. While I was visiting there were having some fixing done. The rooms were repainted, with the original colours. The testing palettes were on the wall. 

I found the colours perfect together, they inspired me for my project's design. 

I found the building very interesting and Le Corbusier's ideas are the same as mine. I loved the rooftop, the space dedicated to the art and to the children is amazing. 

The idea of the 2 levels apartments is really clever. It allows more natural lights (balcony) and give beautiful view (Le Corbusier loved the nature and wanted his buildings to be in harmony with it)

The kitchen and bathroom facilities are modern ! A community was created inside the building. 

You could order food from the shop from a phone located inside the kitchen.