Overcoming Le Mirail’s Crisis of:

Demolition, Relocation, Imagination

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Le Mirail: An Ambitious Modernist Vision and Its Complex Legacy

Le Mirail, envisioned in the 1960s by Georges Candilis, Shadrach Woods, and Alexis Josic, embodies an ambitious modernist vision blending architectural utopia with social concerns. Conceived as a response to post-war housing crises, the project sought to combine quality of life with social equality through innovative spatial organization. However, the history of this district reveals deep tensions between these ideals and the economic, political, and social realities that have shaped them.

At the heart of Le Mirail, Bellefontaine stands out for its distinctive architecture and complex socio-spatial dynamics. Among its notable features, the Goya building encapsulates these issues. Initially designed to offer a modern and accessible living environment, it has weathered decades of disinvestment, stigmatization, and urban transformation.

In a context marked by what some scholars describe as "state-led gentrification," spaces once intended for diverse populations are being reconfigured to attract new social categories, often at the expense of long-standing residents. Modernist architectures, criticized for their supposed obsolescence, have become battlegrounds for debates on sustainability, social justice, and the erasure of collective memory.

This site aims to delve into these issues through an inquiry into the Goya building. How does this structure fit into Le Mirail's broader vision? What actors, materials, and ideologies have shaped its evolution? Who originally inhabited it, and who occupies it now? By intersecting spatial analyses, personal narratives, and historical archives, this project seeks to amplify the voices of spaces and populations often deemed "disposable."

To understand Goya is to interrogate the intersections of architecture, power, and urban policy. It is also an opportunity to reflect on strategies for reengagement, where modernism and social justice are no longer at odds but interact to envision sustainable futures

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Actors and events

Supermapping

Here, you can find an overview of all the actors, both directly and indirectly connected to Le Mirail, from its inception to the present day.

An aerial view taken many months ago of the Bellefontaine section of Le Mirail. Its huge concrete pedestrian deck, the dalle, is under construction at top of picture.

Detail of le Mirail

The Bellefontaine dalle viewed from above. Shops are at top right.

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Tracing Toulouse's Evolution

From Roman Foundations to the Modernist Mirail

To read the article click here

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