Radius city
le corbusier association the first street
After Marseille and Nantes, Le Corbusier deployed his famous housing unit, the Cité Radieuse, in Meurthe-et-Moselle. Built in the town of Briey in 1959, it reflected its creator's vision of modern housing.
Le Corbusier developed his architectural concept in Meurthe-et-Moselle: to bring together services and hundreds of housing units in a single building. In this 110-meter-long and 56-meter-high "city," everything was designed to simplify the lives of residents. Perched on stilts, its seventeen colorful floors overlook the surrounding forest. Transformed by the steel crisis of the 1970s, the Cité Radieuse has gradually evolved into a new chapter in its history. Although still inhabited, it is today an unusual site for visitors.
The Première Rue association offers guided tours retracing the history of this extraordinary architectural complex. Visitors discover its "streets," the multicolored corridors of the building's common areas, and a show apartment. Brightly colored armchairs, wooden partitions, and an open kitchen separated by a serving hatch: this apartment faithfully recreates the atmosphere of the 1960s.
