Armée du Salut, Cité de Refuge, 1929, Paris, France

Cité de Refuge

The Refuge was undertaken by the Salvation Army in 1929 and, after the overcoming of many difficulties, was inaugurated on 7 December 1933. It is the first building for human habitation entirely hermetically sealed, comprising 10,000 ft.2 of fenestration without opening sash. The interior is supplied by a forced air system giving results perfect in winter and quite satisfying in summer. This forced air installation was made on a very small budget. The results were sufficient to permit the best hopes for the future utilization of the system.

The construction is of reinforced concrete: a frame of concrete columns and slabs with hollow terracotta wall and floor units. The columns rest on reinforced concrete piles driven to a depth of 36-45 ft. The subsurface was instable, being subject to the underground waters of the Seine.


Text: Fondation Le Corbusier
Photo credits: Leslie Mozdzan
© FLC/ADAGP, 2022

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