Delve into the melting pot of art that awaits in Marseille

Marseille lives and breathes design like a permanent sea breeze. Inventiveness is the status quo here, and works of art can be found scattered around the city, jostling for attention. Take a stroll around this seaside city and prepare to be blown away by the aesthetic charms that jump out at you from your hotel to the streets and exhibition centres.

The spirit of design in Marseille

The future is constantly being crafted, shaped and reshaped here in the city's art centres, all of which boast galleries that allow you to catch a glimpse of the very latest word on the creative scene. In the Galerie Marseille Art Design, specialised students showcase their latest work. At the Friche Belle de Mai, see installations by artists from around the world scattered amidst buildings and reclaimed industrial objects. The Fabulerie draws on its past as a paint factory to show off different colours and textures: check out the lights and panels dotted around the place.

Marseille: an open-air designer's paradise

From the Cité Radieuse to the Ombrière, Marseille moves to the beat of the very latest in architecture and design. The colourful balconies of Le Corbusier's apartment block have been looking out over the harbour and beaches since 1950. More recently, the Ombrière was designed by Norman Foster and inaugurated in 2013. This metal playground scintillates under the sun around the Old Port area, reflecting the boats docked around the quays from within. As a capital of design, Marseille shows off its artistic side in the hotels that draw on its cultural identity for inspiration. On Rue du Rouet, the façade of the ibis Styles Castellane mirrors the powerful geometric lines of the Cité Radieuse. And near the Vélodrome stadium, the ibis Styles Timone enthrals with its generous Mediterranean boat-inspired shapes.