• 
• Arles line
  • • A stroll through antiquity
• Aix en Provence line     
  • • Around the pavillon Noir
  • • Around the cités universitaires
  
  MARTIGUES line
  • •The modern provencal Venice
• Marseille line
  • • MUCEM / Vieux Port
  • • Villa Méditerranée / les Docks   
  • • FRAC / Silo
  • • Around the Friche
  • • Chateau Borely / MAC

The similarities between Martigues and its Italian elder do not stop at the canals that run through both cities. While the Venetian Arsenal welcomes the world's architects as part of the city's art Biennale, the "Provencal Venice" has been an in-situ laboratory for contemporary architecture for over fifty years. Thanks to a proactive policy regarding the construction of public facilities and social housing, Martigues has become a remarkable city with regards to Mediterranean architecture. The quality and usage value of the constructions provided to the local population make them references in the matter. The town is living proof that it is possible to build a perennial city in Provence, at once traditional and industrial, wherein architecture and urban planning act as social glue. Martigues is a part of the Town of Art and History network, enabling the preservation and public enjoyment of its heritage. Between Marseille and Fos-sur-Mer stands as a cathartic architectural and urban response to metropolitan ills.

A Theatre in the City.

"It's a real theatre, with nice materials, red carpeting... Those are some of the words that Gilles Bouckaert, director of the Théâtre des Salins, often hears, and that summarize the paradox that strikes the "traditional" theatre-goer: indeed, the building's architects deployed all of their talents to make artists and audiences feel at home. Built in 1995, this National Theatre facility has a symbolic importance in Martigues' cityscape, laying claim to the presence of culture in the city. In the middle of a downtown neighbourhood that seems to hesitate between being ancient or modern, dense or loose, the simple, almost classical volumes, materials and decorative elements of this post-modernist creation provide a reassuring playfulness. The connection between the city and the public space is highlighted by the portico facade along the canal, and the shaded patio courtyard that provides an entrance to the theatre, cleverly directing the public in and out of the main auditorium. From the courtyard, do not hesitate to climb on of the two stairways up to the terraces overlooking the city and Jean Prouvé's school.

Architects :
Xavier Fabre & Vincent Speller

Year : 1995

Type : Theatre

Address :
19 Quai Paul Doumer, 13500 Martigues

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