Annual Study Tour: Marseille
We are passionate about the future of cities.
But building the cities of tomorrow starts with building a strong culture today.
That’s why every year, we pack our bags, shut the laptops, and take the whole studio on the road.
This year’s destination? Marseille - France’s vibrant second city, rich with Mediterranean light, layered history, and bold architecture.
For three inspiring days, we immersed ourselves in the spaces, places, and ideas that make Marseille tick.
We soaked up its culture, questioned its urban systems, and used the change of scenery to sharpen our vision for the future.
Highlights from our Marseille adventure:
💠 Mucem: We kicked things off at one of Marseille’s most iconic landmarks. A geometric concrete jewel by Rudy Ricciotti, perched at the edge of the sea. A suspended walkway led us to Fort Saint-Jean, giving us panoramic views and serious design envy.
💠 L’Ombrière by Norman Foster: Standing beneath this mirrored canopy in the Old Port, we watched the city reflected back at us, bustling, layered, poetic. A structure that’s simple, striking, and endlessly social.
💠 The Calanque de Sormiou. Part hike, part pilgrimage, we made our way to this jaw dropping Mediterranean creek. Nature, serenity, and a moment of calm in contrast to the city buzz.
💠 Le Corbusier’s Unite d’Habitation. A bucket list moment. This UNESCO World Heritage site is more than a building, it’s a manifesto in concrete! Seeing this “vertical garden city” up close gave us fresh fuel for thinking differently about home, community, and collective living.
💠 Plus... sketching on sunlit terraces, impromptu workshops over wine, seaside strolls, and late night conversations that shaped our next big ideas.
These annual trips aren’t just about travel. They’re about perspective. They remind us that great cities are built by bold ideas, and that the best ideas come from teams who are inspired, connected, and dreaming big, together.
Here’s to Marseille, and to designing the future, one trip (and one city) at a time.
