Travel to Morocco

Throughout your visit, Casablanca reveals facades which combines neoclassical (pediments, columns, friezes ...) floral motifs of Art Nouveau and those more geometric art deco ornaments or volumes sober for years "modern".

During the first half of the 20th century, Casablanca has become a frenetic urban laboratory and architecture.

Indeed, from the beginning of the last century, Casablanca is destined to become the mirror of a "new town" and appealed to the most innovative architects to fulfill this mission.

The rise of the white city coincides with that of a new discipline of urban planning.

In Casablanca, Henri Prost was called to the head of the first town planning department to trace the development plan and expansion of Casablanca, which will be adopted in 1915 designed a city organized into zones (residential, commercial , industrial) around a large park like New York. The lanes are wide, the building permit is required: all that later inspire the French regulations and many other modern cities around the world.

Dozens of architects and contractors - French, Italian, Spanish, allemands- flock to Casablanca. Laprade, Marius Boyer, Aldo Manassi the Suraqui brothers, the Perret brothers are in Casablanca a testing ground. They will fill the streets of new works and their works will be broadcast worldwide via the press.

Found in Casablanca all aesthetic influences that have animated Europe: art nouveau, neo-classicism, decorative art, influence of Bauhaus. But these influences are "marocanisées" local materials (zellig, carved wood) and the expertise of maâlems (master craftsmen) are integrated in unique modern compositions. We find such abstract patterns made ​​with traditional mosaics, or typical mixed with floral decorations last fashionable at the time.
Encouraged by this pioneering spirit, the Moroccan -French or developers to compete plupart- audacity to see these rise buildings that still bear their names.

In addition, a new material appears at the beginning of the century reinforced concrete, experienced for the first time in Casablanca by the Perret brothers. The material used to build new structures and forms door overhang, wide hats, sunshades, large openings. To this is added the innovation unprecedented comfort for the time: central heating, empty trash, incinerators, parking in basement, bathroom, often exceeding that of Parisian architecture of the moment.

Reflecting this innovative spirit, Casablanca is a city work and pleasure. Monuments (banks, auto repair shops, cinemas, swimming pools) that punctuate the city of remarkable buildings testify.

Today, Casamémoire Association works to preserve this architectural and urban heritage of the twentieth century and argues for the establishment of a genuine settlement of protection coherent and ambitious scale of the city.