Unité d'Habitation

Deservedly a Marseille must-see. We had a highly knowledgeable English-speaking guide booked through the Tourist Board. There aren’t many English-language tours so do plan ahead. I won’t repeat the history story of this experimental building. Nor debate its pros and cons. All this is covered very fully by Perplexity. What I will say is that my opinion was given nuance by actually seeing Unité d'Habitation in context, in person, and inside. Admittedly a very niche interest, but it was also great to put on Peter Doig’s shoes and imagine him conceiving his ‘Concrete Cabins’ series of paintings.

It’s not just a historic building, there is amazing view from rooftop (almost 60m high) If you want to view Apartaments on tour guide I recommend to book week before, we arrived on Thursday and it wasn’t possible until Wednesday… You can feel „good times” there They have very good beers in the restaurant 🍺

Must visit if you are a fan of Le Corbusier. I visited on a Sunday and did not need to book a tour to access the building which was what I had thought from the website. I think they allow access everyday now, but could be worth checking before visiting. It was free. You may access a few floors, The rooftop and get a coffee or food at the hotel that has a cafe or buy an architecture book at the book shop. The place is fantastic in real life and has really been taken care of and appreciated by the Commune which I find often rare. Highly recommend.

Spectacular building, I love that they haven’t tried to monetise off it as a tourist destination too much, as entry to the hotel floor with shops/restaurant etc and up to the rooftop is completely free. You could spend a good hour here moseying around and taking in the stunning details. If you are into architecture and interiors this is a particularly inspiring building and has been our cultural highlight of our trip to Marseille so far. Not to be missed!

Went by car, found a place to park easily on the parking of the building. It is wonderful to see it if you have the time, but it is not a must. We spent around ten minutes analyzing and taking photos and that's it. Still, nice to pay respect to such an art piece.

If you are interested into architecture - its a must! The building is incredible. We didn’t manage to get a guided tour - that requires booking in advance. But even without you can see the building from outside, visit the lobby, floor no 3,4 and the roof top - incredible view!

Amazing building by Le Corbusier just off the city center. You can book a tour through the Marseille Tourist Office (15€ in January 2023) where you'll be able to visit one of the apartments as well as the public areas of the building. If not, you can register at the entry and visit the 3rd, 4th and 9th (rooftop) floors. There is a restaurant/entry to the Hotel Le Corbusier on the 3rd floor. Recommended for architecture enthusiasts.

Designed by Le.Corbusier in 1952, and it becomes an interesting architectural landmark. It might not be everybody's taste. Nevertheless, it is interesting.