arrondissement: Marseille 1st

Saint-Charles

Located in the 1st arrondissement, the Saint-Charles district is right in the heart of Marseille, close to the eponymous train station. Bordered by the Noailles, Belsunce, Thiers and Arenc districts, it offers a lively, multicultural atmosphere.

As part of the Quartiers Libres urban development project, the Saint-Charles district is set to benefit from a new dynamic. Already undergoing a major transformation, the district is home to the Faculty of Law and Economics, as well as the new Marseille School of Architecture.

In addition to the railway station that bears its name, the district is very well served by public transport, as it is central.

The nearby Noailles market offers a wide variety of products.

Érigées entre 1955 et 1962 et s’élevant à 59 mètres au-dessus de la Canebière et du Vieux-Port, les trois tours Labourdette, œuvres conjointes des architectes Jacques HENRI-LABOURDETTE et Robert BOILEAU, conquièrent Marseille par le ciel. Inscrites au Label Patrimoine XXème siècle, ces immeubles d’habitations sont bâtis en exo-structure. Leur design atypique et imposant s’habille d’un audacieux béton armé blanc au revêtement de pierre formant une trame lisse et régulière. A l’intérieur, les escaliers préfabriqués, les lourdes portes en métal, inox et cuivre poli, et les ascenseurs débouchent directement sur les appartements traversants à la structure innovante par l’absence de murs porteurs permettant aux occupants de modifier au fil des années le plan des logements à leur gré.

Jacques Henri-Labourdette

Né en 1915 et décédé en 2003, Jacques Henri-Labourdette est un architecte du mouvement moderne. Élève de l’École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, il fonde en 1945 avec Robert Boileau le cabinet Boileau-Labourdette, qui existe toujours sous le nom de « Synthèse Architecture ». Selon lui, la mission de l’architecte est fondamentalement liée à l’urbanisme face à l’évolution de nos sociétés. Réputé pour ses chantiers orientés autour de l’aménagement de quartiers, il bâtit principalement de grands ensembles, pour certains protégés. Toutes ses réalisations sont symboliques du modernisme et de l’innovation technique.

Parmi ses réalisations, on compte la Tour Albert, premier gratte-ciel de Paris avec ossature tubulaire en acier, les tours Labourdette à Marseille et plusieurs grands ensembles en Ile-de France.

Vieux-Port

The Port of Marseille is the heart of the city, one of the most important in Europe but, above all, one of the most picturesque.

This is one of the most lively neighborhoods in the city. A place to meet and exchange, this site is suitable for young working people for its central location and its lively neighborhood life.

Perfectly served by the metro, numerous buses and several maritime services, it is a rich historical and cultural center. Not far from numerous restaurants, brasseries, trendy local shops, it offers all the conveniences to its inhabitants, all in a pleasant setting that is constantly evolving and diversifying.

Following the redevelopment of the Old Port, the British architect Norman Foster signed a mirror in the shade, an architectural creation, design but especially high-tech that is the exact reversal of the water of the port. A work that takes its place alongside the buildings built in the 1940s by the architect François Pouillon, achievements that are now classified.

Opéra

Not far from the old port and rue Paradis, Opéra is an elegant district of the city center, the atmosphere is heterogeneous, high-end boutiques rub shoulders with unpretentious shops.

Opéra is a truly lively area with numerous schools, entertainment venues, notably the Municipal Opera, and various trendy bars and restaurants.

Essentially made up of luxury buildings, this district offers an ideal living environment for young professionals, such as the building designed by Paul Mouren located in the heart of rue Paradis, a building with strong Beaux-Arts inspirations.