When visiting the Mediterranean coastline, a visit to the futuristic-looking seaside resort of La Grande-Motte is a must. Architect Jean Balladur designed this entire young town in the 1960s, officially opening in 1974. Expect pyramid shaped buildings inspired by the historical pre-Colombian site of Teotihuacan in Mexico. And now, the town attracts about 2 million visitors per year!
Masterpiece
It’s hard to believe that the Southern French coast was barely developed in the 1960s and mainly existed as marshland. Birds and bulls had carte blanche and were free to move wherever they wanted, together with tons of mosquitoes. It was General De Gaulle and then Prime Minister Pompidou who decided to raise six tourist stations along the coast, among which La Grande-Motte. From the Pyrénées-Orientales to the Gard department, these resorts covered 180 kilometres of coastline, divided by an unconstructable natural zone. Architect Jean Balladur was entrusted to design La Grand-Motte. It became his masterpiece, which he worked on for almost 30 years. The visionary, minimalist architect provided the perfect foundation for the sustainable, green town it is today. Since 2010, La Grande Motte has been officially classified as ‘Twentieth Century Heritage’ by the French Ministry of Culture.
Quartier du Levant
My first stop was at the Tourist Office, where I got a free map and a map with six walks for 1 euro. You can take several routes in different fields of interest, like architecture or sculptures. I decided to walk around and let the sea breeze guide me. I started at the Quartier du Levant, which is the centre of La Grande-Motte. Via the Promenade des Vents park, I walked to the beach, from where you can see the surreal skyline. By the numerous spread towels and umbrellas, I could tell the goal of creating a seaside resort had succeeded. Even 50 years after its resurrection, there was a good vibe among the holidayers. The town organises many activities and events, such as guided tours, concerts, evening markets, and so on. You will also find plenty of shops and restaurants, and there even is a giant Ferris wheel.
Greenest European town
Via the marina, I walked further to explore the Quartier du Couchant. Although La Grande-Motte is mainly built with concrete, its original architecture appeals to the imagination. Jean Balladur used this building material playfully, not only for the structures but also to design the patterns of the facades. To prevent La Grande-Motte from turning into a concrete jungle, nature has played an important role since the beginning. I was surprised to learn that today, La Grande-Motte is, in fact, the greenest European town, with more than 70% of its surface used for greenery, gardens, parks and trees. Coming to the end of the harbour, I spotted one of the most iconic buildings, called La Grande Pyramide. It is at the junction between the two neighbourhoods, ‘Le Levant’ (the sunrise) and ‘Le Couchant’ (the sunset).
La Grande Pyramide
I had already noticed that the buildings in the Quartier du Levant seemed older and squarer than the ones I saw in the Quartier du Couchant. And indeed, when reading about La Grande-Motte’s history, I learned that the Levant district represents the masculine side of the town with more straight angles. The Couchant district, on the other hand, uses more curved shapes. And when you stand in front of the Grande Pyramide with the harbour in your back, you’ll understand why the diagonal straight side points in the directions of the centre (Levant), and the rounded side toward the Couchant district. So, La Grande-Motte might take some time to appreciate it. But once you look further and make an effort to get to know this seaside resort, you might be surprised by its beauty and hidden messages.
