Louise-Catherine

The Louise-Catherine is a concrete vessel on the Seine near Austerlitz Station in the 13th arrondissement. It measures approximately 70 meters long and 8 meters wide and once served as a river transport ship.

The vessel was built in 1915 as a coal transport ship under the name Liège. In 1929, Madeleine Zillhardt purchased the ship and donated it to the Salvation Army.

The barge was transformed by Le Corbusier and Kunio Maekawa into a shelter with sleeping areas and communal spaces. This conversion shows how a transport vessel became a place of aid and refuge.

The vessel sits on an active riverside zone along the Seine and can sometimes be difficult to see clearly. Visitors should be aware that the area is constantly accessible, but direct access to the ship itself may be limited.

This is the only watercraft registered on the Seine that holds historical monument status. The Le Corbusier-designed interior features distinctive square windows that represent an unusual approach to ship interior architecture.