Unité d'Habitation

A must for all modern architecture fans. It is free to enter and have a wonder. There are many details to admire, inside and out. You can access the roof for views over the city too.

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.

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.

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 🍺

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.

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.

As a lover of brutalism and mid century modernism this was a pilgrimage for me, to visit one of Le Corbusier's triumphs. Though shunned when first designed and built, it is now an absolute gem. Genius can take a long time to be recognised. I will add many more photos to this when I get home and get my camera photos downloaded. Now the building is a French National Monument it gets the respect and support it deserves. We booked a tour named Cite Radieuse with the Marseille City Tourist Office. It was in French, so some of the more detailed bits were hard to.understand but we were given a printed guide and our tour guide took the time to explain some things to us. Her name was Camille and she was fantastic. You start outside with some background about Le Corbusier and a history of the building. Then it's inside where the guide picks out some architectural details, perfect for the photographer. Then it's up to a tour of an apartment that's been kept in the original 1950s style. Wow!! There were so many individual design details that were incredible, from the kitchen area, to the staircase, the shower was like on a spacecraft! The radiators underneath the loggia by the balcony doors. Bookcases built into the wall, storage areas, the flow of the apartment from sleeping area to play area. Breath taking design. Then it's around the commercial areas, with beautiful corridors, everything having its place, with more beautifully aesthetic design touches that had form, function and restraint. Finally we were taken to the roof, and shown the children's playground, the running track around the edge, the exhibition space and the mini open air theatre. The views were incredible too. This was one of the most incredible tours I've ever taken. Yes, I love the subject, but the guide still had to make it a worthwhile experience and at this, she excelled. Frankly, a life enhancing tour. I'm still smiling several hours later.

Lovely experience. We went on a sunday. The 3-4 and 9th floor were open, as well as the bar. I definitely recommend to drink something at the 3rd floor and enjoy the view to the city. The only thing I disliked on the 9th floor (rooftop) is that small people can’t see anything. The walls are too high!!