Cité de la Muette, Historical housing estate in Drancy, France
The Cité de la Muette is a housing complex in Drancy built with a U-shaped layout using standardized prefabricated concrete slabs and metal components assembled on-site. Today, a memorial center opposite the buildings houses conference rooms, educational spaces, and exhibitions related to this location's history.
The complex was constructed in 1932 as a new social housing development in the Paris area. During World War II, it was repurposed as an internment camp where tens of thousands of people were held before being transported to extermination camps.
The memorial center across from the housing complex serves as a place where the community gathers to remember and reflect on what happened here. Visitors can see how this site has been transformed into a space of remembrance where people come to learn and honor those who were affected.
The memorial center is open Sunday through Thursday and closed on Fridays, Saturdays, and national holidays. The easiest way to reach the site is by Metro Line 5, getting off at the Bobigny Pablo Picasso station.
The buildings represent the first implementation of high-rise residential architecture in the Paris region, using construction methods that were innovative for their time. This architectural experiment made the site an important example of modern urban development before its tragic wartime history.
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