This Friday, Mayor Lionel de Cala accepted the prestigious award, presented as part of the 32nd edition of the competition. This distinction recognizes a project that successfully combined heritage preservation, knowledge transfer, and the creation of a new permanent living space, thereby contributing to the village's revitalization for the benefit of local merchants and artisans.
The ceremony was attended by numerous dignitaries, including Patrick Ghigonetto (Mayor of Ceyreste and Departmental Councilor), Jérôme Matrone (BTP 13 Federation), Olivier de Bermon and Bruno Jarriand (Fondation du Patrimoine), Philippe Donjerkovic (architect), Patrick Sabatier (Deputy Mayor for Major Works), as well as representatives from the Notre-Dame-du-Château association and the "Friends of Marcel Pagnol".
The Electric Factory, built in 1906, played a historical role in powering the tramway connecting Marseille to Allauch. It became the City's property in 2006 and found a new purpose after three years of renovation work.
Since its inauguration in October 2024, the Cultural Hub has welcomed 250,000 visitors. It features a library of over 800 m², a 100-seat auditorium, a 400 m² exhibition space, the Tourist Office, a coworking space named 'La Bobine' dedicated to entrepreneurship, and a digital creation space called 'L’Atelier'.
The history of this site will continue with the future Marcel Pagnol Museum, planned for the first floor in the coming years. A call for private funding will be launched soon.
The municipality extends its thanks to the BTP 13 Federation, the Fondation du Patrimoine, the AMF, and the Caisse d’Épargne, as well as the municipal teams, architects, companies, artisans, and institutional partners for their mobilization in this significant rehabilitation. The project received subsidies totaling 4.5 million euros from the Bouches-du-Rhône department and the Ministry of Culture.
