Le quartier de la Côte Sainte-Catherine

Long before the buildings of the Côte Sainte-Catherine project, vineyards occupied the hillside from the 12th to the 19th century. The first buildings were erected as early as 1964, in response to the housing crisis caused by the post-World War II baby boom. This complex
is subject to a new design plan that promotes egalitarian housing as advocated by Le Corbusier.
From the 1950s onwards, the boom in large-scale housing projects was driven by the advent of mechanical means of transport and the urgent need to create decent housing. In 1953, Mayor Pierre Marizier adopted an urban development plan that would later include the Côte Sainte-Catherine project. The project was entrusted to architect and urban planner Lanfranco Virgili, a pupil of Le Corbusier. Extensive earthworks were carried out to make the site viable. The color scheme favors horizontality, which, combined with the low height of the buildings, helps to integrate the architecture with nature. Spaces are compartmentalized according to function, as in the hierarchical organization of the circulation network according to traffic flow. Living spaces in residential units are south-facing to maximize sunlight. Building in small units is therefore necessary to meet these needs, which are aimed at improving comfort and day-to-day living. Around the buildings, green spaces (also known as leisure areas) are established in significant proportions: 15 m² per inhabitant in 1975. Numerous infrastructures are included in the project, such as the shopping center, social center, school groups, etc. The location of the hospital was also planned from the outset.

DATAtourisme France