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And this was not the only problem hindering the once radiant dream of Firminy-Vert – the local coal industry was on the decline, and with it the local population. 13 The new town, although only partially realised, was now too big for its much reduced population. The ‘Unité’, although providing only a third of the previously proposed dwellings, became an oversized burden, and it soon became too difficult and too expensive to run. 14 In July 1983, the northern half of the building was closed by the regional HLM office governing it. 15 Sixty families were forced to move out of their apartments, half moving to the southern side of the building, and the other half, elsewhere. 16 For almost twenty years now, only the southern half of the ‘Unité’ of Firminy has been inhabited, the northern half having been left untouched, exhibited like some strange museum display through the dusty plexiglass panels that seal it off from the rest of the building. 113-114. Plexiglass panels in the middle of each internal ‘street’shut off the northern half of the building. 187 188 It would be easy to see the current state of Firminy-Vert as symbolic of the tragic fate of an architect’s attempt to adapt his once radiant and beautiful vision to reality, – “Thirty years later, Firminy is blacker than ever, even if the coal, mines, steel and textile industries are no longer there. The promises are gone, and so have the inhabitants. The cultural centre is now a youth club, the church was stopped at its base, and the Unité d’habitation is half empty.” 17 But this description based on mere facts, and beauty is really a matter of opinion. The afore mentioned quote is Jean-Paul Robert’s view published in L’<strong>Architecture</strong> d’Aujourd’hui, June, 1993. But another view, from Kester Rattenbury, published in Blueprint, July, 1993, states that, – “Despite [the empty northern half of the building], the realisation of Le Corbusier’s ideas – ‘the perfect receptacle for the family’in a rigorous, grand, elegant building ín God’s good nature, under the sky and in the sun’ – is clear, if partial. The kindergarten on the roof is still open, children play in the internal streets, and it’s definitely rude if you fail to greet people in the lift. The building, still social housing and lacking the middle class decorations of its predecessor in Marseilles, is utterly compelling.” 18 Rattenbury places emphasis on the sections that are still alive, whilst Robert dwells on the parts that are not. – “[The other end of the building] is inhabited by nothing but flies, that no one can even get rid of. Each Spring the lava hatches, and the insects buzz until the cold arrives and silences them. Perhaps they, like in the play of Jean-Paul Satre, are living signs of remorse, death, and rebirth.” 19
But is ‘remorse’ really the issue here? For is it not more a case of ‘regret’? – a regret for that which was not done, and not remorse for that which was. For the greatest problems of the ‘Unité’ of Firminy-Vert and its town, lie in the fact that the work is incomplete. One might argue that the diminished population could not have supported the ambitious plans proposed, and of course a town ought only to grow at the rate of its population. But the population of the town today would have easily met the proportions of the town, with several additional apartment buildings having since been built along the road leading up to the ‘Unité’ – there evidently having been a demand for more dwellings. And yet half the apartments of the ‘Unité’ still remain closed, not by choice of the population, but rather by choice of the local government, against which the residents of the building have been struggling for over thirty years. 20 Perhaps here, the reference to Sartre’s play ought more to be with its protagonist, for the inhabitants of the ‘Unité’ have already taken responsibility for their fates. But the residents of the ‘Unité’ continue to struggle against these ‘higher powers’. For the roof top school is no longer “still open” (as Rattenbury stated in July 1993). The school was in use for over 30 years, being opened in 1968 until it was closed for renovations in June 1999. The Foundation for Historical Monuments in France provided the funds for this refurbishment, although this was only sufficient for the renovation of two of the classrooms. The school was to be re-opened for a small number of students in September 1999, but the local council refused to give its approval. 21 The newly renovated rooms still remain unused. 189 190 115. “What a waste! It’s shameful! Shame on those who pretend to be protecting our patrimony and then abandon it in this way...” An angered resident that aided in the renovations of the school leaves a note of protest to its continued closure.
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
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12. Immeuble Locatif à la Molitor,
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1 Le Corbusier, The Marseilles Bloc
Page 28 and 29:
23 The translation given in Boesige
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42 The findings of the CIAM at this
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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.
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31. The ‘Unité d’habitation’
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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 50 and 51: Atlantic Ocean 43. Location of the
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 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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