Lyon – Urban Utopias II: La Cité des Etoiles and Tony Garnier’s Monument to the Deceased Soldiers

“The City of the Stars” in Givors offers a remarkable opportunity to explore one of the most visionary social housing projects of the twentieth century. Conceived between 1974 and 1981 by architect Jean Renaudie, the complex was created in response to the decline of the steel industry and the deteriorating hillside neighborhood leading up to the old Château. When the city’s mayor, Camille Vallin, rejected all 26 competition proposals for ignoring the natural terrain, he turned to Renaudie, whose triangular geometries and cascading terrace designs at Ivry had already gained recognition. Together, they envisioned a neighborhood rooted in its landscape, integrating 207 apartments, including 150 social units, along with cultural and community spaces such as a theater, library, kindergarten, and shops. Renaudie insisted that no two apartments be alike and that each residence open onto a generous terrace, designed to eventually be overtaken by vegetation, blending architecture and nature. His commitment led him to repeatedly travel from Paris to personally share his vision with the local residents, ensuring the project responded to both the site and its community.