Around the cités universitaires

Let us wander around the university campus, taking in buildings by Fernand Pouillon and René Egger, and finding respite in a city within a city, where the passing of time and neo-classical, regional and modern influences can be seen. This trend is set to continue, with a vast regeneration project set to change the face of the city once more.



Autour des cités universitaires Cité universitaire Abram Bibliothèque universitaire de la faculté de droit et économie Faculté de droit et science politique Faculté des lettres et sciences humaines Bibliothèque universitaire de la faculté de lettres extension de la faculté de lettres et de sciences humaines d'Aix en Provence Archives nationales d'outre-mer
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Cité universitaire Abram

Abram Cité Universitaire (Student Residence)

Castel's First Student Residence in Aix

This student residence, the first to have been built in Aix, is the work of then Departmental Chief Architect Gaston Castel. It bears the art deco influences of the 1913 Prix De Rome. The complex is comprised of a low-slung main building flanked by two higher wings. From the street the facade is given relief with full turrets flanking the main pavilion, and park-side, we find two semi-circular projections at either end. These projections, along with the balconies of the loggias and the wide cornice add a geometric rhythm of the complex. The residence contained a restaurant, a library and a games room in the administrative (central) wing, while the two lateral wings offered 70 rooms for male students on one side, and 40 for female students on the other, which explains the construction's asymmetry. The building was recently converted into offices. The building was classified Patrimoine du XXème Siècle (the French “20th Century Heritage” designation).

Architect :
Gaston Castel
Year : 1935-1936
Type : logements
Adress :
6 avenue Benjamin Abram, Aix-en-Provence
Géolocalisation google 43.297292,5.361493