MOROCCO HOUSE

HISTORY

Two sources of financing

We owe the construction of this house to Morocco’s King Mohammed V; his government agreed to construct the building in the Cité internationale and financed the first part of the edifice. The second wing was financed by a private donor, Jean Walter, who had made his fortune from the mining company he owned in the Moroccan town of Zellidja. The house opened its doors to students in October 1953.

Did you know?
Jean Walter, the donor who financed Morocco House also made a name for himself as an architect; he designed many social housing and hospital buildings.

1950s architecture

Albert Laprade, Jean Vernon and Bruno Philippe designed Morocco House to comprise two wings, one with 161 rooms and the other with 48; it is a classic example of 1950s architecture. Some of the building’s aspects, such as the glazed tile roof are inspired by traditional Moroccan architecture.

Did you know?
One of the building’s architects, Albert Laprade, was well acquainted with Morocco. As a young man in the beginning of his career he lived there for five years and worked on the urban design for the city of Casablanca. Back in France, he also worked on the Abreu de Grancher Foundation and the Lucien Paye Foundation at the Cité internationale.

Completely renovated

Morocco House was renovated in 1982 by André Paccard, head of the technical bureau for Morocco’s royal palace and a specialist in traditional Islamic architecture. During renovations, he added a patio to the building. More work was undertaken in 1992, in 2002, and again in 2008. These later renovations were overseen by a Moroccan architect, Mohammed Fikri Benabdallah, and intended to make the buildings more comfortable and easily accessible.

Did you know?
The second wave of renovations created 53 studio flats with kitchenettes and bathrooms in the second wing; these now house researchers.