From MuCem to the Old Port

Between Marseille's new architectural symbol and the Vieux-Port, follow us on a trip through 2,600 years of the city's history. Beyond the MuCEM, this walk presents a compendium of the second half of 20th-century architecture, which was marked by a period of post-war reconstruction.



parcours MuCEM / vieux port Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée Rowing Club Opération de la Tourette L'immeuble façade du Vieux-Port La maison Diamantée Extension de l'Hotel de Ville de Marseille La résidence du Vieux-Port Réaménagement du vieux-Port
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Opération de la Tourette

The Tourette Operation

Facing the sea and the MuCEM, we find another example of Pouillon's architecural ambivalence.

Rarely has an architectural program so deftly navigated the difficult balance between the scale of the cityscape and that of a large seaport. To the north, on the side of the port, we find a gigantic massing organised in a strict rhythm to respond to the landscape of the Joliette basins. To the south, from the perspective of the city, the street wall is characterized by an erudite application of the Mediterranean architectural vernacular: loggias, trellises, ceramic-clad lobbies. On the subject of the complex’s heftiness, Pouillon wrote in 1947: "The architecture shall be of stone, with few openings. The composition, by its linear uniformity, will be as severe as fortifications. [...] The protective functions of the square tower and the Saint-Jean's round tower, the pious function of the belltower, the residential function of the living tower." Let us keep in mind that this complex is part of the reconstruction effort of a neighbourhood that was completely razed in 1943. In the face of the urgency to rebuild, Pouillon invented a construction method whereby the stone facades served as forms for the pouring of concrete resulting in a beautiful built-in stone facade. Fifty years on, the buildings are still in excellent condition and particularly popular with the local population.
The complex was also given the designation Patrimoine du XXème Siècle.
Architect :
Fernand Pouillon - René Egger
Year : 1953
Type : housing
Address :
square Protis, 13002 Marseille
Géolocalisation google 43.297292,5.361493