4 unités LC - Architecture Insights

123. Map of Firminy-Vert
showing location of the Le
Corbusier buildings and closest
public transport.
BUS
TERMINUS
Public transport in the area of Firminy and Saint-Etienne is fairly
efficient, with buses running at around half-hour intervals
throughout the day. The closest bus stop, however to the ‘Unité’
itself, is at the bottom of the hill of Les Bruneux, after which one
must climb another kilometre up a rather winding road to the site.
The ‘Unité’ is situated on the very edge of Firminy-Vert, at the very
end of the road. It is far from any commercial activity, all of which is
located outside of Firminy-Vert. 28 A car (as in the case of Briey-en-
Forêt) is thus essentially a necessity for the residents of the ‘Unité’
of Firminy-Vert.
197 198
The Parkland
The Parkland
IV.4 Facilities
124. Families enjoying picnics
on the lawn behind the ‘Unité’
of Firminy-Vert.
Children’s play equipment (a later addition), and a soccer field, are
located at the base of the ‘Unité’ of Firminy-Vert – the only other
‘Unité’, along with the one of Rezé-les-Nantes, to have
incorporated the sports fields at the base of the building (as
described in the ‘Ville Radieuse’).
The main part of the parkland consists of a large undulating lawn
space behind the building, surrounding the soccer field, on which
many residents hold picnics when the weather is fine. Although the
space is rather bare and barren, and not nearly as landscaped as
the other ‘Unités’, the park does, however, provide a pleasant place
for rest and recreation.