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Atlantic Ocean 43. Location of the 4 ‘Unités’ in France. Rezé-les-Nantes PARIS Firminy-Vert Mediterranean Sea Briey-en-Forêt Marseille GERMANY SWITZERLAND The four ‘Unités’ constructed in France are discussed in this chapter, with each building considered as a separate case, appearing in the form of a report, and divided into sections of – I . History, II. Ownership, III. Context and IV. Facilities. These divisions are established as comparative points between each ‘Unité’, raising certain issues that are later discussed and analysed in the conclusion. In the case of each ‘Unité’, some texts (wherever possible) were drawn from for their histories, past contexts and previous states. These were mainly Le Corbusier’s Œuvre Complète series, Ragot, Gilles + Dion, Mathilde, Le Corbusier en France: Réalisations et 95 96 Projets (Editions 1 + 2), and often from information published or compiled by related associations of the ‘Unité’ visited. (Other sources are credited in the notes.) It is emphasised, however, that the most integral parts of this chapter – being the current state and condition of each ‘Unité’, and its inhabitants’ views this as their home – come entirely from the interviews and observations carried out in person at each place. It is these views that are recorded and contrasted with the past views, and equally compared with other more current views, if found. This chapter clarifies the actual state of the ‘Unités’ in France, not only from the viewpoint of the observer, but also, and more importantly, from the viewpoint of its inhabitants.
1 Generally the ‘Unités’ formed part of much larger urban schemes, examples of these being the plans for St-Dié (1945), and La Rochelle-Pallice (1946). The plans for St-Dié contained eight ‘Unités’ to meet the needs of the 20 000 people whose houses had been destroyed in the area during the war. The plans for La Rochelle-Pallice was for ten ‘Unités’ in a new residential quarter, again for 20 000 people. At first the plans for St-Dié were warmly welcomed by the Town Council and local population, but the Ministers later changed their minds and definitively rejected the proposal. The plans for La Rochelle- Pallice were never actually rejected, but nor were they ever approved, and although Le Corbusier remained their official chief Town-Planner for several years following the proposal, he was never again consulted for the urban development of area. (BOESIGER, W., (text by Le Corbusier), Le Corbusier et Pierre Jeanneret: Œuvre Complète 1946 – 1952, Volume 5, Les Editions d’<strong>Architecture</strong>s, Zurich, Switzerland, 1946, p. 191; and BOESIGER, W., GIRSBERGER, H., Le Corbusier 1910-65, Thames and Hudson, London, 1967, pp. 338 + 343.) See also the plans for Meaux (1956 + 1960), where the first design proposed 5 ‘Unités’, and the later one 15 (Boesiger, W., Girsberger, H., Le Corbusier 1910-65, Thames and Hudson, London, 1967, p. 347); and plans for Bogota, Colombia (1950), where the model for the project suggests the construction of at least 8 ‘Unités’ (Boesiger, W., Girsberger, H., Le Corbusier 1910-65, Thames and Hudson, London, 1967, p. 342). 2 Le Corbusier’s other proposed ‘Unités’ were in Nemours, Algeria (1933), two others in Marseille, Saint-Dié, La Rochelle-Pallice and Saint-Gaudens (all 1945), Porte de Saint-Cloud, Paris (1949), Bogota, Colombia (1950), Strasbourg (1951), Meaux (1955-60), Roubaix (1956-58), Villacoublay, Brétigny, Boé, Tours (1960-61), and Roussillon (1960-63). 3 The ‘Unité’ of Berlin-Charlottenburg is not dicussed in this chapter, as the focus of the thesis lies more on the ‘Unités’ as concepts of social housing in the context of France. See Apendix 1, The ‘Unité d’habitation’, Berlin- Charlottenburg, Germany (1956-58), p. 219-222. 97
Page 1: Isabelle Toland B Sc. (Arch) Hons.
Page 4 and 5: Acknowledgements In writing this th
Page 6 and 7: Preface Observations and Visitation
Page 8 and 9: Introduction Singular / Plural The
Page 10 and 11: 1. Dynamiting a grand barre on the
Page 12 and 13: and the CIAM (Congrès Internationa
Page 14 and 15: “in my career …I have devoted m
Page 16 and 17: The City Although during his format
Page 18 and 19: 4. A sketch of the centre of Paris,
Page 20 and 21: Le Corbusier attributed certain fea
Page 22 and 23: From the design of ‘Immeubles-Vil
Page 24 and 25: 12. Immeuble Locatif à la Molitor,
Page 26 and 27: 1 Le Corbusier, The Marseilles Bloc
Page 28 and 29: 23 The translation given in Boesige
Page 30 and 31: 42 The findings of the CIAM at this
Page 32 and 33: Soleil, espace, verdure... The ‘U
Page 34 and 35: Building Blocks 20. The ‘Modulor
Page 36 and 37: Industrial Production The use of
Page 38 and 39: An Individual Home Independence 27.
Page 40 and 41: 31. The ‘Unité d’habitation’
Page 42 and 43: 35. A ‘brise-soleil’ on the fac
Page 44 and 45: 39. A classroom of the rooftop pre-
Page 46 and 47: 22 As the majority of apartments st
Page 48 and 49: 4 Unités in France / 4 Dreams + Re
Page 52 and 53: I. M.MI - Unité Marseille The ‘U
Page 54 and 55: Even before the completion of its c
Page 56 and 57: 50. Looking down a section of the c
Page 58 and 59: 55. View from the balcony of an apa
Page 60 and 61: I.4 Facilities The ‘Unité’ in
Page 62 and 63: The Offices Also situated on the mi
Page 64 and 65: The pool, which had been left crack
Page 66 and 67: 75. The roof terrace overrun by chi
Page 68 and 69: of the building maintenance. It was
Page 70 and 71: II. N RE - Unité Rezé-les-Nantes
Page 72 and 73: 78. The polychromatic painted ‘lo
Page 74 and 75: II.3 Context 83-84. The ‘Unité d
Page 76 and 77: The Parkland The Entry Foyer The pa
Page 78 and 79: The Rooftop School 91-92. Windows l
Page 80 and 81: The strength of the building co-ope
Page 82 and 83: were located independently, on a ne
Page 84 and 85: III.1 History The ‘Unité’ in B
Page 86 and 87: But the region was in serious econo
Page 88 and 89: 101-102. Restored interiors of apar
Page 90 and 91: The Parkland An Espace Le Corbusier
Page 92 and 93: 18 Ibid. 19 Ibid., See also article
Page 94 and 95: IV. FIR. UN - Unité Firminy-Vert
Page 96 and 97: And this was not the only problem h
Page 98 and 99: The residents of the ‘Unité’ h
Page 100 and 101:
120. Looking up to the ‘Unité’
Page 102 and 103:
A more vegetated area of the parkla
Page 104 and 105:
The Roof Terrace 131-132. The resur
Page 106 and 107:
1 Ragot, Gilles + Dion, Mathilde Le
Page 108 and 109:
them over the past years. 32 One of
Page 110 and 111:
But the ‘Unité’ of Firminy-Ver
Page 112 and 113:
Appendix CHA - Unité Berlin-Charlo
Page 114 and 115:
Illustration Acknowledgements 1. T
Page 116 and 117:
Bibliography Affron, Matthew + Antl
Page 118:
Sbriglio, Jacques, (trans. Sarah Pa
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4 unités LC - Architecture Insights

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