I grands ensembles una “singolare plurale” eredità

The future of the grands ensembles is one of the most important issue in France, and, it has been a central issue of the debate on housing during the last three decades. The term was initially used to identify the morphological system, characterized by big buildings for housing, then it began to indicate low cost housing for the lower classes and low quality architecture. The theoretical reference is to research in the Modern Movement. How was it possible that the Charter of Athens contents, a promise of progress and quality, has degenerated to such an extent? So many efforts made since the 90s to imagine the possible development of the grands ensembles have influenced only partially the architectural debate. The necessity of architecture is in these cases is still to be demonstrated case to case.