Villeurbanne, life in the Gratte-Ciel district

Exceptional architecture

Listed as ‘Patrimoine du 20ème siècle’ (20th century heritage) by the French Ministry of Culture, the Gratte-Ciel district has resisted the passing decades to remain a lively part of Villeurbanne. It is one of the ‘Utopies Réalisées’ (achieved utopias), major achievements of twentieth-century architecture, designed to create an architectural and social utopia.
During this guided tour, you will learn about the history of this district and its special architecture

Built between 1924 and 1934, the Gratte-Ciel district was born of the political will of the mayor, Lazare Goujon, which was fed by modernist utopianism and the American dream of the architect Môrice Leroux.

The Gratte-Ciel district is centred around social housing and includes residential areas, public facilities (including the City Hall), the current Théâtre National Populaire (formerly a venue for operettas), shops and services.
Symbolically, this project was born in the heart of Villeurbanne, during the interwar period, a time when large housing schemes remained rare in France.

During the tour, your tour guide will take you into a reconstructed show apartment, in the heart of the Gratte-Ciel, which will transport you back to the 1930s.