Mad for Marselle

The streets are lined with old buildings, their Hausmann architecture darkened with the passage of years. The noise of the city fills the background with the sound of cars and people. Marseille is chaotic, with the touch of madness characteristic of southern European cities on the shores of the Mediterranean. In fact, the term "bipolar" would seem to suit the city, with two faces and two styles as distinct as they are appealing.
The latest side of Marseille began to emerge about five years ago, when this port city was named the European Capital of Culture for 2013, a great excuse to give France´s "second city" a new look to make it even more attractive. Since then, more than 600 million euros have been invested in the city´s cultural/urban makeover. To help reduce the number of car in circulation, bike lane were added to many streets, and public transit line were extended. Entire building were renovated to give that bourgeois touch of Parisian boulevards, while modern buildings were addedto the skyline, including the blue skyscraper designed for shipping firm CMA CGM by renowned architect Zaha Hadid.
Of course, the star of all this urban remodeling is the Musée des Civilisations de l`Europe et de la Méditerranée, muCEM. the building is a great cube covered in a grill of arabesques that looks out over the sea. Connected to the city by two elevated walkways that resemble welcoming, open arms, the muCEM enjoy a privileged setting, best described by its architect, Marseille native Rudy Ricciotti.