CASE STUDY: ‘UNITE MD’HABITATION’

The internal streets appear once every three oors with most of the apartments having two living spaces directly on top of each other. Large windows allow for the viewing of landscapes to the east and west sides of the building. The exterior streets wrap around the building in a continuous loop with an exit through the main plaza heading out towards the city.

The Unité d’Habitation in Marseille brings together Le Corbusier’s idea for communal living with the demands of post-war France. Completed in 1952 in Marseille, France, after World War II, the need for housing was at a remarkable high. The immense Unite d’Habitation contains an internal shopping street halfway up, a recreation ground and children's nursery on the roof, and a generous surrounding area of parkland made possible by the density of the accommodation in the building itself. At 165m long, 24m wide, and 56m high the Unité d’Habitation sets a commanding presence in the landscape. There are 337 apartment units and 23 different types of layout. Le Corbusier designed the units to span from each side of the building, in addition to having a doubleheight living space reducing the number of required halls to one every three floors. The grand pilotis and imposing concrete facades sitting similarly they would in a park gives the highrise an imposing sculptural feel. The roof is entirely given to the public for a shared space with elements on top that are purely sculptural.