The winning ideas of the Marseille Social Housing competition

Archicontest's Marseille Social Housing ideas competition invited designers to envision a new social housing project in the historic, culturally diverse city of Marseille in France. In addition to a housing structure, proposals had to include a public gathering square for the community.

The competition concluded with three prize winners and five honorable mentions. Scroll down to check them out.

FIRST PRIZE: Emilio Ades Cohen, Francisco Villalon, Marc Marelle, Jesus Sauceda, Camila Valenzuela, Alonso Leonides (MEXICO) 

Project summary: “...the project reinterprets the idea of a patio, an essential part of Mediterranean culture that has often represented an answer to the different bioclimatic, cultural and social conditions. The public building becomes a domestic architecture, the court acquires the role of agora at the service of the entire community to allow the square of Le Refuge to feed dynamics useful for the improvement of the neighborhood Le Parnier. The accommodations respect a general module of the standard measure to be repeated in types ranging from a minimum size of thirty square meters to a maximum of one hundred square meters. The building is surrounded by brise soleil that function as a membrane that channels the sun’s rays and allow the living cells to open up to the surrounding environment...”

SECOND PRIZE: Martin Taglianetti, Matteo Torracchi (ITALY) 

“...le Parnier has a strong identity, it was important to enhance its values through symbolic references to the culture of the place. The pitched roofs re-propose the sails of the ships moored at the port, the directions of the road axes around the site have imposed a regular shape on the new building. The commercial premises, located at street level, provide vertical connections with the terraces at the last level where patrons can go to enjoy the city view. The apartments that occupy the four floors of the building are of different types to better meet the needs of users. The block constructed, seen from the outside, appears compact overall, but acquires dynamism through the insertion of glass surfaces that enliven the façades. The coverage from the irregular lines becomes a strong sign of recognizability in the urban skyline...”

THIRD PRIZE: Anna Giovannelli, Sofia Francis, Flaminia Iacobini, Camille Innamorati, Roberto Vincenzo Iossa, Alessandra Lione (ITALY)

“...the Le Panier district has two significant aspects: the marked slope of the hilly orography and the strong density of the building fabric. The project redefines urban space through a central court that connects the private sphere to public life. The new building is a heterogeneous element: the basement, intended for commercial activities and the auditorium, establishes a clear continuity with the road share guaranteed by full-height windows that, on the upper floors, give way to opaque surfaces with a more marked weight . The different inclination of the roofing plans reinterprets the chaotic movement that distinguishes the life of the neighborhood. The holes give identity to the façades guaranteeing, through their precise location, an optimal lighting and ventilation to the interiors...”

Don't forget about the Honorable Mentions in the gallery below. Learn more about the entries here.