Description
A duplex with sea view in the Cité Radieuse
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2016, Marseille’s Cité Radieuse is an icon of Le Corbusier’s work. Built between 1948 and 1952 during the post-war Reconstruction, it represents the culmination of his research on modern housing and architecture.
Located on an upper floor, this descending type C duplex has been extended to optimize the available space and allow its inhabitants to fully enjoy the view. It offers a surface area of 63 m² (LC) over two levels. It has undergone a meticulous restoration.
The upper level features an entrance that leads to the living space with an original kitchen designed by Charlotte Perriand, a dining area, and a living room open to the sea view thanks to the original glass facade.
The lower level, accessed by a Jean Prouvé staircase, features a large suite with an office, living room, and a bedroom delineated by an original wardrobe designed by Charlotte Perriand. This space opens onto a balcony with a sea view.
In its current configuration, the apartment can accommodate up to 4 people and generate rental income.
Nestled in Marseille’s prestigious 8th arrondissement, the apartment sits within a three-hectare park, between the hills and the sea. With two levels of amenities, including a shopping gallery with local businesses and a hotel, a nursery school, a rooftop solarium, a swimming pool, and an open-air theater, as well as round-the-clock security, the Cité Radieuse offers an exceptional quality of life.
Interior Design by Charlotte Perriand & Jean Prouvé
The apartment has retained its original built-in furnishings.
The integrated storage, kitchen, and bedroom designs are by architect Charlotte Perriand. She began designing the Cité Radieuse kitchen in 1946. Measuring approximately 5 m², this square kitchen is integrated into the dining/living room through a bar counter. Inspired by American kitchens and the “Frankfurter Küche” by Margaret Schütte-Lihotzky from 1928, it was designed to optimize domestic tasks. Vladimir Bodiansky completed the final version.
The internal staircase, designed by Jean Prouvé, features a lightweight metal frame and solid oak steps, evoking a ship’s ladder.
© Valérie Ruperti
Raw concrete and play of light
Exploiting the plastic and technical possibilities of concrete, Le Corbusier’s Cité Radieuse is a housing unit—a concrete structure on stilts containing duplex apartments and communal amenities. The regular facade, with its prefabricated concrete sunshades, is crowned by sculptural rooftop forms, including its iconic large chimney.
Inside and out, the architect introduced a palette of primary colors, coating the interiors of loggias and apartment doors.
Based on the Modulor system, a human figure scaled to the golden ratio, the apartment’s spaces are adapted to the human body, offering great comfort. Moreover, the apartment retains many period design elements by Le Corbusier.
© Valérie Ruperti
Le Corbusier
Born in 1887 in Switzerland, Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, was an architect and urban planner renowned for making architecture a comprehensive art form. He considered the building’s structure, interior design, furniture, and overall urban context in all his projects, making him one of the most iconic figures of the Modern Movement.
Throughout his career, Le Corbusier shared his vision and theories through international exhibitions, such as the 1925 “Pavillon de l’Esprit Nouveau” and the 1937 “Pavillon des Temps Nouveaux.”
A proponent of modernism who opposed decorative arts, Le Corbusier embodied his architectural philosophy in villas such as the 1928 Villa Savoye, where he established his “five points of modern architecture” (pilotis, roof terrace, ribbon windows, free facade, and open floor plan).
Although one of the most prolific architects of his time, many of his projects were never realized, such as the “Plan Voisin” or the “Contemporary City for Three Million Inhabitants.” His work, sometimes deemed too radical, has nonetheless gained international acclaim. His last major project was in Chandigarh, India, where he oversaw the urban planning of the new capital of Punjab, blending raw concrete with lush vegetation.
