Marseille 11th - Nestlé factory
- department: Bouches-du-Rhône
- municipality: Marseille
- naming: Nestlé plant
- address : avenue de la Gare Saint-Menet - La Millière
- authors: René EGGER, Fernand POUILLON (architects)
- date: 1949-1952
- protection: unprotected building
- label patrimoine XXe: Commission régionale du patrimoine et des sites (CRPS) of 28 November 2000
Built on the green grounds of the bastide of Saint-Menet, the "green" factory in Marseille is part of the development policy of Nestlé, which had diversified its production and wanted to establish itself in the South of France. At the time, Marseille offered, as a commercial port, the advantage of being the place of receipt of imports of raw materials, and the place of departure of exports, once the products were processed.
The construction of this factory, entrusted to René Egger and Fernand Pouillon, was based on an ambitious program that notably required the diversion of the route of the highway linking Marseille to Aubagne, then under construction. The program, imposed on the architects, included a chocolate-making unit, a soluble coffee unit, both fully automated, administration rooms, social facilities, and housing for the workers. Based on concrete structures, the buildings have galleries, stairs or ramps that animate the façades, and that distinguish them from production places, considered as purely functional, and devoid of decorative elements. The variations in colour and texture, especially on the filler panels, contrast with the grey structure elements, helping to create light plays. The careful organization of the buildings around landscaped spaces gave this ensemble its name of "green factory".
- Editor: Eve Roy, drac paca crmh, 2000