Unité d’habitation – Le Corbusier – Firminy

The Unité d'Habitation in Firminy is the last of a total of five realized large Unité residential building blocks designed by Le Corbusier. The four other Unités are located in Marseilles, Rezé-les-Nantes, Briey-en-Forêt and in Berlin. The construction of the Unité d'Habitation in Firminy goes back to an urban planning program by the architect Eugène Claudius-Petit, which unfortunately was not fully implemented. Work on the Unité d'Habitation in Firminy began in 1965. After the death of Le Corbusier, the building was completed by André Wogenscky. Designed as a "vertical garden city", the building is characterized by numerous key features of Le Corbusier's architecture. As with the other Unités, the structure is detached from the ground by the concrete pillars, so that the visual contact with nature is intensified as much as possible. The two longitudinal facades are oriented to the east and west. This ensures the best possible sunshine for the apartments. With the exception of studio apartments, all other units are designed as maisonettes. The entire building was designed according to the "Modulor" proportioning and measuring system. The original 414 apartments of various types are spread over 17 floors, and are accessed through seven "rues interieures". Unlike the first Unité d'Habitation in Marseille, Firminy does not have a commercial floor. There is a school on the 18th and 19th floor. Above, the roof terrace was arranged on the 20th floor. With its impressive dimensions of 130.35 m length, 21.00 m width and 56.0 m height, the building perches on a hill above Firminy. The building differs in numerous details from the first Unité in Marseille. Unfortunately, the design of the huge structure in the newer version has lost in subtleties. In particular one misses the plastically formed Pilotis, the more varied color scheme of the loggias and the parapet lattices.

The school on the two top floors was closed in 1998 after a total of 30 years. The northern third of the Unité d'Habitation was closed for 20 years. After a comprehensive restoration and renovation project, this part of the building was reopened. These apartments were then offered as part of a co-ownership model. Meanwhile, the southern part of the house remained the property of the Public Housing Office of Firminy. Even today, the model apartment is preserved in its original state, and can be visited. The building was partially listed as a historical monument in 1993, so the roof garden, the school, the pilots and the façade are protected.