A large metal hall, built by the construction company of Levallois-Perret (formerly Compagnie des établissements Eiffel), the Lustucru hall was originally the central vessel of the former Grand Palais de Marseille, built on the occasion of the colonial exhibition of 1906. It was moved to its current location in Arles in 1951.

It housed the Lustucru rice plants before falling into the wasteland, when the plant closed, following floods in 2003.

It is a rare testimony of the history of metal construction of the 20th century that must be preserved.

So I asked the Frey Group, the designer of the shopping centre, who accepted it, to dismantle this hall and move it.

The agglomeration community, in agreement with the regional Public Land Institution, agreed that the entire structure be deposited on the site of the «Etienne paper mills», to be stored in good conditions of security and preservation then , in a second time after the containment works, a project can be developed on this site which aims to become a new economic pole, dedicated to the creative economy and cultural and heritage industries.

This period will be used to build an ambitious project, allowing for example initially to host temporary exhibitions in an umbrella hall.

A committee, under the chairmanship of the Prefect, to which will be associated in particular the Region, the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC), the agglomeration community, the city of Arles will be constituted for, in a first time follow the disassembly operations and then imagine the new life of this hall.

Naturally, I would like the inhabitants of the city and the cultural stakeholders who would like to be involved in an organized citizen consultation to imagine a shared project that will have to respond to local, national and international issues.

This trip is an opportunity for Arlesians and heritage lovers as it allows the reconciliation of heritage preservation and the economic development of a commercial area.

It also makes it possible to relocate the hall with a view to a better development of a structure that had been abandoned.