Cité Maurice-Thorez, Social housing complex in Ivry-sur-Seine, France.
Cité Maurice-Thorez is a residential complex in Ivry-sur-Seine made up of two perpendicular blocks with red brick facades and a reinforced concrete structure reaching fourteen stories at its highest point. The complex holds 400 apartments distributed across different levels and served by a central service tower containing stairs and elevators.
Architects Henri and Robert Chevallier designed and completed this building in 1953, making it the first high-rise structure in Ivry-sur-Seine during post-war reconstruction. The project was part of efforts to provide affordable housing for the growing urban population.
The complex is named after Maurice Thorez, a prominent French Communist leader who represented Ivry-sur-Seine as a deputy for many years. This naming reflects the social ideals that shaped the neighborhood after the war.
The site is accessible year-round and offers visitors a good view of the architecture from outside, with the central service tower serving as a clear landmark. The best time to visit is during daylight hours when natural light highlights the red brick facade and structural details most effectively.
The building was pioneering for its integrated metal kitchen fixtures and open walkways, representing modern housing solutions for the 1950s. These innovative features showed early experiments with functional design in social housing.
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