Cité Frugès / Le Cobusier

The Cité Frugès housing complex (1924-1926) was designed by French-Swiss architect Le Corbusier.  French industrialist Henry Frugès commissioned Le Corbusier to design 135 housing units for workers in his sugar factory in Pessac, outside Bordeaux. The goal was for the cost to be such that an average worker could afford to purchase a unit with one year's salary. The minimalist architecture, which was extremely different than what people were used to at the time, did not appeal to the workers and only 51 units were actually built. It was still the first large-scale residential development by Le Corbusier. 

Seven prototypes were designed for the project.

The units are individually-owned. Some have been restored and as we cane see here, some have not.

The town of Pessac, where the development is located, purchased this "skyscraper" unit and it operates as a museum. The docent who showed us around was so nice.

 

One of the units is available to stay in via Airbnb