november-2010
november-2010
november-2010
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WORD OF<br />
WORD MOUTH<br />
OF<br />
MOUTH<br />
Shedding a Light on<br />
Marseille's Underground<br />
Design District<br />
MARSEILLE<br />
“It took me 38<br />
years to travel 600<br />
yards,” Georges<br />
Zucca laughs.<br />
After making his<br />
restaurant La Part<br />
des Anges one of<br />
the most acclaimed<br />
addresses on<br />
Marseille's Vieux<br />
Port, Zucca pulled<br />
a daring move a<br />
few months ago<br />
when he opened<br />
his new place, Le<br />
Petit Longchamp,<br />
on the top part of<br />
Rue Consolat in an<br />
area that had been<br />
slowly decaying<br />
for the past 25<br />
years. “With the<br />
new tramway [this<br />
district] is bubbling<br />
with creativity. I<br />
wanted to be here<br />
when it woke up.”<br />
Zucca’s new<br />
venture has kickstarted<br />
interest in<br />
its neighbouring<br />
streets – especially<br />
Rue du Coq on<br />
the other side<br />
of Boulevard<br />
Longchamp. This<br />
tiny downtown<br />
street in a former<br />
red light district has<br />
been an insider’s<br />
secret for years, but<br />
is now attracting<br />
a new crowd who<br />
are discovering the<br />
chic artisan-made<br />
interior design in its<br />
many workshops<br />
and boutiques.<br />
At the very<br />
beginning of Rue<br />
du Coq is Pierrick<br />
Desville's atelier<br />
Réverbère (29<br />
Rue du Coq). In<br />
his unpretentious<br />
store, this former<br />
photographer<br />
converts antique<br />
and retro objects<br />
(anything from<br />
reformed street<br />
lights, boat<br />
headlights and even<br />
washing machine<br />
tubs) into the fi nest<br />
crafted lamps. Just<br />
around the corner<br />
lies Filomèle (11 Rue<br />
Chevillon) with its<br />
blue mosaic-tiled<br />
storefront. Inside,<br />
owner and artist<br />
Filomèle makes<br />
mobiles from steel<br />
cables that can<br />
hold potted plants,<br />
fl owers and lights.<br />
Continue up Rue<br />
du Coq towards<br />
Boulevard National<br />
and you’ll stumble<br />
SHORTS | EURO GOSSIP<br />
across Le Dresseur<br />
de Boas’ Jérôme<br />
Pereira (20 Rue<br />
Frédéric Chevillon).<br />
Pereira likes to<br />
stick egg-like lamps<br />
between unwieldy<br />
pieces of split wood<br />
to create intricate<br />
light sculptures.<br />
Nearby, Jean-<br />
Pierre Giusiano's<br />
tiny world (37 Rue<br />
Clockwise, from top<br />
left: Réverbère, Filomèle<br />
and drinking apéritifs in<br />
Le Petit Longchamp<br />
Abbé de l'épée) is<br />
populated by lamps<br />
made out of kitchen<br />
hardware, and the<br />
DesignOthèque<br />
(40 Rue du Coq),<br />
a cutting-edge<br />
exhibition space<br />
that opened last<br />
year, is just around<br />
the corner.<br />
The area's notso<br />
salubrious past<br />
may have left a few<br />
scars, but it seems<br />
like the artistic<br />
renaissance of the<br />
Rue du Coq is in<br />
full swing. Let’s just<br />
hope it doesn’t take<br />
everybody 38 years<br />
to discover it…<br />
Seb Carayol<br />
15 TH BIRTHDAY ISSUE | TRAVELLER | 91
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