Docks (Marseille)
Encyclopedia
Les Docks de Marseille is a historical building in the heart of La Joliette
, a business district in Marseille
, France
. The building is home to 220 companies employing some 3,500 people. Various corporate headquarters, regional branches, restaurants, and services are located inside.
In 1955, Entrepôts et Magasins Généraux de Paris (EMGP) took over Compagnie des Docks et Entrepôts de Marseille. Initially, Les Docks were used as a paper and wheat storage facility, later they were equipped with refrigerated chambers and finally, they were partially restructured into offices.
SARI, managed by la Défense real estate developer Christian Pellerin, bought Les Docks de Marseille in 1991. The architect, Eric Castaldi, led a refurbishing project that transformed the warehouses into offices. Some of the work carried out included preserving the brick arches, enlarging the windows, replacing part of the roof with glass to create atriums, and adding an internal central street.
La Joliette
La Joliette is a neighbourhood of the 2nd arrondissement of Marseille located at the start of the autonomous port of Marseille.-Overview:It contains the Docks de Marseille and Marseille Cathedral....
, a business district in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. The building is home to 220 companies employing some 3,500 people. Various corporate headquarters, regional branches, restaurants, and services are located inside.
History
Compagnie des Docks et Entrepôts de Marseille, run by Paulin Talabot, a Ponts et Chaussées Chief Engineer, politician, and successful businessman, launched the project of Les Docks de Marseille in 1856. Built under the direction of the architect Gustave Desplaces from 1858 to 1864, Les Docks de Marseille had 4 warehouses each displaying its own courtyard as well as a management building named "Hôtel de Direction".In 1955, Entrepôts et Magasins Généraux de Paris (EMGP) took over Compagnie des Docks et Entrepôts de Marseille. Initially, Les Docks were used as a paper and wheat storage facility, later they were equipped with refrigerated chambers and finally, they were partially restructured into offices.
SARI, managed by la Défense real estate developer Christian Pellerin, bought Les Docks de Marseille in 1991. The architect, Eric Castaldi, led a refurbishing project that transformed the warehouses into offices. Some of the work carried out included preserving the brick arches, enlarging the windows, replacing part of the roof with glass to create atriums, and adding an internal central street.