La Grande Motte: A Modernist Marvel on the Mediterranean
Located forty minutes east of Montpellier on France’s Mediterranean coast, La Grande Motte is a midcentury architectural complex that has evolved from being criticized as “architectural pollution” to a celebrated modernist development. Designed by architect Jean Balladur, the resort town of La Grande Motte features buildings inspired by pyramids and mastabas, rising above the sandy landscape of a former farm between the Étang de l’Or lagoon and the open sea.
Originally conceived as a resort destination during the post-war period when Europeans were beginning to embrace holiday travel, La Grande Motte now accommodates nearly 38,000 tourists in vacation homes, apartments, and campsites. Balladur’s vision for the project was to create an ideal city where lodging was affordable, and residents could escape socio-economic pressures.
For photographers Laurent Kronental and Charly Broyez, known for their focus on architecture and urban environments, La Grande Motte presented a unique opportunity to explore a location that has grown in reputation over the years. Their series, titled “La Cité Oasis—un Rêve Futuriste au bord de la Méditerranée” or “The Oasis City—a Futuristic Dream on the Mediterranean,” captures the essence of the resort through dusky, glowing images that radiate a feeling of summertime.
Over the span of four years, from 2019 to 2023, Kronental and Broyez documented the gleaming towers, arched silhouettes, sculptural elements, and brutalist details of La Grande Motte. Drawing inspiration from sources like the pre-Columbian pyramids of Teotihuacan in Mexico and Le Corbusier’s La Cité radieuse in Marseille, Balladur’s unique architectural influences are evident in each building, which rise from the sand like enormous, inhabitable sculptures.
Despite the absence of people in their photographs, subtle hints of human presence can be seen, such as umbrellas on balconies, towels hanging to dry, or open windows. Exploring La Grande Motte, Kronental described it as “like discovering a parallel world in which we don’t know if we’ve found the remains of an ancient civilization, or entered the future.”
To view the complete project consisting of nearly 70 photos by Broyez and Kronental, visit their Instagram profiles and websites. The images capture the essence of La Grande Motte’s modernist architecture, white facades, and harmonious relationship with nature, showcasing a place that has transcended its initial criticism to become a symbol of visionary design and urban planning.
