Montpellier - Place du Nombre d'Or

David Ian Wilson, on March 29, 2009, said:

Ceaucesceu style totalitarian architecture - Hitlers fantasy of phony classical appliqué writ absurdly large in the late 20th century. Yuck. All it's missing are the columns of marching jackboots for the picture to be complete. What a waste of money and space. Go back to the center of the old town if you want to see how architecture ought to be done in the Mediterranean.

Apart from that - nice snap for a night time handheld with an Ixus!

androo, on March 29, 2009, said:

I think that Montpellier is a gorgeous spot, and we spent a fair bit of time in the centre of town, David, and enjoyed it immensely.

It was whilst we were walking back from the River Lez towards Place de la Comedie that this scene of the Place de Nombre d'Or grabbed my eye.

I think that Bofill's masterplan is an excellent late 20th century solution to urban decay - regenerating a vast area of land "that had been used for factories and military uses" and creating "about 4,000 new dwellings" as a component of the project in the process.

If you're interested in learning more, you'll fined some quite detailed and enlightening commentary here

Andrew.