Photos: Fred Romero from Paris, France, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Bruno Couleau, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Arnaud 25, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Fred Romero from Paris, France, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 Bruno Couleau, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Arnaud 25, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Friche la Belle de Mai, a factory turned arts centre
Your local guide
Karim Belkacem
View profile
Highlights
- A tobacco factory turned arts centre
- Original brickwork kept deliberately visible
- Artwork installed on an open rooftop
- Industrial architecture, given a new use
- A neighbourhood seen from above
About this tour
This session looks at Friche la Belle de Mai, a former tobacco factory turned into a large contemporary arts centre, from its long brick facade to the artwork on its rooftop terrace. You see how much of the original industrial building was kept visible rather than covered over. It is an architecture and art session focused on one converted building.
We spend time at the facade before moving up to the rooftop, since the contrast between old brick and new use is the point. I answer questions about the building or its programme as they come up. A short note on what is currently showing follows the call.
This suits anyone interested in how old industrial buildings get reused for culture. It also works well before or after visiting an exhibition there yourself.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 5 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Marseille before heading out.
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The old tobacco factory facade 21 min
The camera looks along the long brick facade of a former tobacco factory, now a cultural centre for contemporary art and music. I point out which parts of the original industrial structure were kept deliberately visible.
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The rooftop terrace 21 min
From the rooftop, you get a wide view over the surrounding neighbourhood and the artwork installed up there permanently. I explain how the terrace was added without changing the roofline visible from the street.
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Your questions 9 min
Time to ask anything about Marseille: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 4 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Bouillabaisse and Vieux-Port, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Paris time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 10 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Marseille, showing you The old tobacco factory facade and The rooftop terrace live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need any background in art?
No. The guide explains what matters as you go, whatever you already know or do not.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I carry my phone through the site while we talk.
Times shown in Paris time (CET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Fri 20 Nov · 10 seats left From 20,00 €
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