A duplex apartment in Le Corbusier’s Modernist icon La Cité Radieuse has hit the market for €598,000.
Le Corbusier designed the famous Marseille housing project – his first Unité d’Habitation – between 1948 and 1952 using the ‘golden ration’ of mathematics. Conceived for some 1,600 residents and incorporating retail elements and a rooftop terrace, it was a highly influential model for communal living, in which residents could shop, play and live together in a ‘vertical garden city’.
This 140 sq m apartment sits on a high floor of the colourful Modernist landmark, built from béton-brut concrete and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016. The Marseille property is on the market via 20th and 21st century architecture specialists Architecture de Collection.
Its original layout is still intact, as is the oak flooring and cabinetry. A large entrance leads to a double-height living room and a Charlotte Perriand-designed kitchen on the ground floor, which opens onto a large outdoor balcony overlooking the nearby park and sea in the distance. Five bedrooms fill the upper level of the apartment.
Residents at the concrete complex can also make use of the nursery school, solarium and swimming pool, which were designed part of Le Corbusier’s masterplan. They can also take in exhibitions at the rooftop MAMO gallery.
Meanwhile, would-be residents interested in getting a taste for La Cité Radieuse can book a stay at its Le Corb-designed hotel.
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