The
district of Antigone
It is in 1977, whereas
Georges Frêche reaches the town hall of Montpellier,
that the project of the district of Antigone is set up. The
new mayor has at his disposal forty hectares of waste land
which belonged before to the army that he wants to transform
new downtown.
This territory thus extends from the shopping mall the Polygon
to banks of Lez. It was necessary to build new residences
and nottament social housing (approximately 20%) but it was
necessary to act differently than with the district of Paillade
and its large offset towers because this new district was
going to be integrated into the historical centre.
The city will entrust this heavy task to the Catalan architect
Ricardo Bofill known for its architecture with strong traditional
and ancient influence. The district had already a name: Antigone,
Bofill gave him a form.
It
is a long succession of places surrounded by buildings
to the lines of Roman influences. The place of the golden
section was closed in the beginning but it should have been
opened not to lock up the inhabitants and trade thus, today,
which characterizes Antigone it is its prospect since from
one end to another the visitor can see the extremities of
the architectural unit thus offering a kind of large esplanade
to the length of which the idlers can walk.
Thereafter fountains were built bringing movement and noise,
trees were planted, the trade settled and the life followed
its course. Antigone was an ambitious architectural project
which explodes completely of the old city which offers very
little visual space in its maze of small streets and places
while Antigone, it is disproportion.
What
is astonishing : This district built in the Eighties
is particularly modern since it offers many spaces of life,
but also of the trade, walks, sight, light… What was often
reproach with the architectural projects of these years.
Antigone was well thought so that this very day if he were been
sulky in these beginnings it is a place where Montpelliérains
easily will stroll, drink a coffee or will lunch with the many
terraces of restaurants which surround the various places of
the district.
Many demonstrations also are organized on the various
places in particular the summer or this district takes all its
dimension. 
