The “Stilts” Building

Look to the end of the street. There, a concrete giant rises 45 meters (148 feet) high and stretches 85 meters (279 feet) long. Locals know it as Les Échasses—“the Stilts.” Built in the 1960s under the direction of architect Henri Conan, this landmark building, recognized with the Remarkable Contemporary Architecture label, embodies Lorient’s bold rebirth after World War II.

If you know Marseille well, you may feel a sudden sense of déjà vu. Henri Conan made no secret of his admiration for Le Corbusier and the architect’s famous Cité Radieuse in Marseille. Here, he drew on the full vocabulary of the modernist master, but adapted it to Lorient’s scale.

The building contains 99 duplex apartments that stretch from one side to the other, with light-filled living spaces opening south onto large, covered balconies. Its rooftop terrace was originally designed as a shared space, complete with a playground and communal drying area. Its most dramatic feature, however, is the way the building rises on tall reinforced-concrete columns, leaving the ground open beneath two-thirds of its length.

This engineering feat immediately earned the building its famous nickname: “the Stilts.” When it opened, both the press and its residents praised its cutting-edge comfort. Between 2017 and 2021, Atelier CHROMA introduced a remarkable new color scheme that enhances the building’s geometric lines without ever compromising its original spirit.