Installation by ÉCAL at Apartment N°50 by Le Corbusier

In September 2014, twelve Product Design Master students of ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne were invited to reflect on a collection of objects to meet everyday needs in the Cité Radieuse in Marseille designed by Le Corbusier. The outcome of this research is being displayed as part of an exhibition staged in Apartment N°50 from 4 to 19 July 2015.

Apartment N°50 was restored by two enthusiasts, Jean-Marc Drut and Patrick Blauwart, taking it as close as possible to its original condition. Listed as a historical monument, the venue occasionally hosts exhibition projects. World-renowned designers have already exhibited there, such as Jasper Morrison, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic and Pierre Charpin. This year, under the direction of Thilo Alex Brunner, head of the Master Product Design at ECAL, and of ECAL professor Augustin Scott de Martinville, a series of objects was produced over one semester by the Product Design Master students.

The project began in September 2014 with a three-day workshop in the Cité Radieuse, allowing students to experience life in the building. Based on their various observations, they created objects to “inhabit” Apartment 50, focusing particularly on the following features: the specific climate of the apartments, the flexibility of interior spaces and tours of Apartment 50 which take place regularly.

In response to this, the fan in the upper space creates an air flow on the mezzanine level, and the cushions are designed to fit both on the living room’s indoor parapets and on the loggias’ tables. The large rotating lamp serves to light either the dining room or the living room in turn, while the small model can be used either on a desk or a bedside table, supporting the idea of flexibility. The carpet, crafted with the support of the Ruckstuhl AG manufacture in Langenthal, displays a map showing how the Cité Radieuse blended in with its environment at the time of construction, while the “unit” metre provides a simple tool to explain the Modulor system.