View source for Les Espaces d'Abraxas

{{Short description|Building complex in Noisy-le-Grand, France}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox building
| name                = Les Espaces d'Abraxas
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| architectural_style = [[Postmodern architecture|Postmodernism]]
| classification      = [[public Housing|Social Housing]]
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| location_city       = [[Noisy-le-Grand]]
| location_country    = France
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| start_date          = 1978
| stop_date           = 1982
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| opened_date         = 1983
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| material            = Prefabricated Concrete
| size                = {{convert|47000|sqm|abbr=on}}
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| architect           = [[Ricardo Bofill]]
| architecture_firm   = [[Taller de Arquitectura|Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura]]
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'''Les Espaces d'Abraxas''' is a high-density housing complex in [[Noisy-le-Grand]], approximately {{cvt|12|km}} from Paris, France.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last1=Phelps |first1=Nicholas A. |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/750491768 |title=Post-suburban Europe : planning and politics at the margins of Europe's capital cities |last2=Parsons |first2=Nick |last3=Ballas |first3=Dimitris |last4=Dowling |first4=Andrew |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-230-00212-8 |pages=122 |chapter=Noisy-le-Grand: Grand State Vision or Noise about Nowhere? |oclc=750491768}}</ref> The building was designed by architect [[Ricardo Bofill]] and his architecture practice [[Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura]] (RBTA) in 1978<ref name=":9" /> on behalf of the [[Government of France|French government]],<ref name=":10">{{Cite book |last=Ayers |first=Andrew |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/51527007 |title=The architecture of Paris : an architectural guide |date=2004 |publisher=Edition Axel Menges |isbn=3-930698-96-X |location=Stuttgart |pages=355 |oclc=51527007}}</ref> during a period of increased urbanisation across France after [[World War II]].<ref name=":11">{{Citation |last1=Farro |first1=Antimo Luigi |title=Occupying the city |date=2019-05-15 |work=Youth and the Politics of the Present |pages=141–152 |publisher=Routledge |last2=Maddanu |first2=Simone|doi=10.4324/9780429198267-11 |isbn=9780429198267 |s2cid=188982827 |doi-access=free }}</ref> This rapid urbanisation led to overcrowding and insufficient housing in Paris.<ref name=":7" /> To offset this, the French government implemented a project to create five 'New Towns' on the outskirts of the city.<ref name=":7" />
Architect Ricardo Bofill's projects, including Les Espaces d'Abraxas, are rooted in his left wing ideals.<ref name=":20" /> The building's post-modern design uses classical motifs and new building technologies to achieve a luxury aesthetic previously reserved for upper classes.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Marta |first=Tobolczyk |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/1293294352 |title=Contemporary architecture. The genesis and characteristics of leading trends. |date=2021 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-5275-7039-9 |oclc=1293294352}}</ref> Despite receiving criticism, the building was an early success for Bofill, and brought him international success and praise.<ref name=":10" /> The building has been used as a backdrop in film and TV, including in [[Brazil (1985 film)|''Brazil'']] (1985) and ''[[The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2]]'' (2015).<ref name="boom2017" />
==Description==
The large complex of 591 apartments was designed in 1978 and completed in 1982.<ref name="archdaily">{{cite web |last1=Taylor-Foster |first1=James |date=1 October 2015 |title=A Utopian Dream Stood Still |url=https://www.archdaily.com/774578/a-utopian-dream-stood-still-ricardo-bofills-postmodern-parisian-housing-estate-of-noisy-le-grand |access-date=21 November 2021 |website=ArchDaily |publisher=Architecture Daily |language=en}}</ref> It rapidly acquired iconic status, amplified by its use as background sets in movies and music clips. It consists of three buildings: ''Le Palacio'' (the palace) is the largest, followed by ''Le Théâtre'' (the theatre) to its west, and the smaller ''L'Arc'' (the arch) between the other two.<ref name=":9">{{cite web |title=Les Espaces d'Abraxas |url=https://www.emporis.com/complex/127099/les-espaces-d-abraxas-noisy-le-grand-france |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706191039/https://www.emporis.com/complex/127099/les-espaces-d-abraxas-noisy-le-grand-france |url-status=usurped |archive-date=July 6, 2018 |website=Emporis |access-date=21 November 2021}}</ref> ''Le Palacio'' has 441 housing units, ''Le Théâtre'' has 130, and ''L'Arche'' has 20.<ref name="boom2017">{{cite web |last1=Stevens |first1=Philip |date=7 March 2017 |title=Ricardo Bofill's Postmodern Housing Complex near Paris |url=https://www.designboom.com/architecture/ricardo-bofill-postmodern-housing-complex-paris-les-espaces-dabraxas-france-03-07-2017/ |access-date=21 November 2021 |website=designboom {{!}} architecture & design magazine |language=en}}</ref>
In the decades following its creation, living conditions in the complex deteriorated<ref name=":0">{{cite web|website=Le Monde |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/societe/visuel/2014/02/08/en-seine-saint-denis-les-illusions-perdues-d-une-utopie-urbaine_4360634_3224.html |title=En Seine-Saint-Denis, les illusions perdues d'une utopie urbaine |author=Elvire Camus |date=8 February 2014}}</ref> to the extent that its demolition was debated in the mid-2010s.<ref name="archdaily" /><ref>{{cite web|website=Ma Plume 2.0 |url=https://www.ma-plume-webmag.com/fr/archi-design/architectures-urbanisme/37-faut-il-demolir-les-espaces-d-abraxas |title=Faut-il démolir les Espaces d'Abraxas ? |date=4 March 2014}}</ref> In 2018, the commune of [[Noisy-le-Grand]] announced that Bofill would oversee the renovation of Les Espaces d'Abraxas and of a number of nearby developments, including new construction.<ref>{{cite web |website=Le Monde |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/argent/article/2018/01/20/noisy-le-grand-remodele-ses-quartiers_5244451_1657007.html |title=Noisy-le-Grand remodèle ses quartiers |author=Alain Piffaretti |date=20 January 2018}}</ref>
== Name and location ==
"Les Espaces d'Abraxas" literally translates to 'Abraxas's Spaces' and is a reference to the Greek [[Abraxas]]. This classical reference may be linked to the building's post-modern architecture style, which also has visual references to [[Ancient Greek architecture|Ancient Greek]] and [[Ancient Roman architecture|Roman]] architecture.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Schuman |first=Tony |date=1986-10-01 |title=Utopia Spurned: Ricardo Bofill and the French Ideal City Tradition |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/10464883.1986.11102651 |journal=Journal of Architectural Education |volume=40 |issue=1 |pages=20–29 |doi=10.1080/10464883.1986.11102651 |issn=1046-4883}}</ref>
The building is located within the Noisy-le-Grand region, a [[Communes of France|commune]] found in the eastern suburbs of Paris.<ref name=":9" /> The building is accessible via the [[Réseau Express Régional]] (RER), which travels directly from the centre of Paris ([[Gare de Lyon]]) to [[Noisy-le-Grand – Mont d'Est station]].<ref name=":21" /> Noisy-le-Grand is located in Zone 4 of the [[RATP Group|RATP]] (''Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens'').<ref name=":21">{{Cite web |title=Rer a map {{!}} RATP |url=https://www.ratp.fr/en/plans-lignes/rer/a |access-date=2022-04-04 |website=www.ratp.fr}}</ref>
== History and design ==
=== Les Trente Glorieuses ===
In the three decades following the Second World War, France experienced a dramatic economic boom,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Chauvel |first=Louis |date=2010-01-01 |title=The Long-Term Destabilization of Youth, Scarring Effects, and the Future of the Welfare Regime in Post-Trente Glorieuses France |url=http://berghahnjournals.com/view/journals/fpcs/28/3/fpcs280305.xml |journal=French Politics, Culture & Society |volume=28 |issue=3 |doi=10.3167/fpcs.2010.280305 |issn=1537-6370}}</ref> a period of "rapid urbanisation and industrial modernisation"<ref name=":8" /> which has since been dubbed ''[[Trente Glorieuses|Les Trente Glorieuses]]'' (The Thirty Glorious),<ref name=":8" /> During this period, large numbers relocated from rural towns into urban centres, specifically Paris.<ref name=":8" /> This led to unbalanced growth across France and poor housing and congestion throughout the capital.<ref name=":8" />
=== French housing policy in the 1950s–70s ===
To manage this increased urbanisation, the French government began to implement various national programs to address housing shortages<ref name=":11" /> and move some of the population out of Paris.<ref name=":11" /> In 1965, under the government of [[Charles de Gaulle|General de Gaulle]], five 'New Towns' were proposed<ref name=":10" /> as part of the ''Schéma Directeur de la Région Île-de-France'' (Île-de-France Region Master Plan), although not officially announced until 1971.<ref name=":8" />
In 1976, the Seventh National Plan proposed a 'Priority Action Programme' through which five 'New Towns' would be built across France.<ref name=":7">{{Cite journal |last=Moseley |first=Malcolm J. |date=1980 |title=Strategic planning and the Paris agglomeration in the 1960s and 1970s: The quest for balance and structure |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/0016718580900081 |journal=Geoforum |language=en |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=179–223 |doi=10.1016/0016-7185(80)90008-1}}</ref> The five towns built were [[Cergy-Pontoise]], [[Évry, Essonne|Evry]], [[Marne-la-Vallée]], Melun-Senart, and [[Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines]].<ref>{{Citation |last=Huxtable |first=Ada Louise |title=Cold Comfort: The New French Towns |date=2021-11-17 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780429335617-8 |work=Survival Strategies |pages=67–71 |place=New York |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9780429335617-8 |isbn=978-0-429-33561-7 |s2cid=244368974 |access-date=2022-05-12}}</ref> These towns were the focus of increased infrastructure, with the aim of aiding "employment and service growth" in the suburbs and diversifying the population on the outskirts of Paris.<ref name=":7" />
Originally designed in 1978, two years into the Seventh National Plan, Les Espaces d'Abraxas is situated in the Noisy-le-Grand region, within the 'New Town' of Marne-la-Vallée.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Albecker |first=Marie-Fleur |date=2011-11-22 |title=The Effects of Globalization in the First Suburbs of Paris: From Decline to Revival? |journal=Berkeley Planning Journal |volume=23 |issue=1 |doi=10.5070/bp323111433 |issn=1047-5192|doi-access=free }}</ref> At the time of construction, Noisy-le-Grand was a part of the ''[[Ceinture rouge]]'' (Red Belt), falling within the then [[French Communist Party]]-led council of [[Seine-Saint-Denis]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9780429584220 |title=Youth and the Politics of the Present: Coping with Complexity and Ambivalence |date=2019-05-15 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-429-19826-7 |editor-last=Colombo |editor-first=Enzo |edition=1 |language=en |doi=10.4324/9780429198267-11 |s2cid=188982827 |editor-last2=Rebughini |editor-first2=Paola}}</ref> As of 2013, social housing estates like Les Espaces d'Abraxas account for 41 per cent of housing in Seine-Saint-Denis.<ref name=":3" />
=== History of Noisy-le-Grand ===
[[File:Panneau Direction Noisy Grand D75e Gournay Marne 2.jpg|thumb|Noisy-le-Grand street sign]] Before becoming part of the 'New Town' of Marne-la-Vallée, Noisy-le-Grand experienced a massive population growth in the inter-war period.<ref name=":8" /> The town dates back as far as "the invasion of Gaul by [[Julius Caesar]] (58–52 BC)",<ref name=":8" /> and remained a rural village until the 20th century.<ref name=":8" /> The population grew from 2,200 people in 1921 to over 10,000 in 1954.<ref name=":8" /> Following its incorporation into Marnee-la-Vallée, the population grew from "26,765 in 1975 to 52,408 by the end of the 1980s".<ref name=":8" />
Unlike the other 'New Towns' which sought to concentrate residents into one area and create infrastructure around it, Marne-la-Vallée was "to be a series of small scale settlements based upon existing communes and around transport connections (road and rail)".<ref name=":8" /> The town's growth was impeded by the economic recession that hit France in the late 1970s,<ref name=":8" /> however by the mid-1980s Noisy-le-Grand accounted for two-thirds of employment in Marne-la-Vallée.<ref name=":8" />
The 'New Towns' have been criticised as lacking 'identity',<ref name=":8" /> a problem which was furthered for Noisy-le-Grand with the construction of [[Disneyland Paris]] on the eastern edge of Marne-la-Vallée in 1992.<ref name=":8" /> Disneyland Paris, which was originally called 'Euro Disney' faced large amounts of backlash from the French public due to concerns it was an invasion of American aesthetics and culture,<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":19">{{Cite web |title=Thunderbird Case Studies; 'EuroDisneyland' |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060830055144/http://www.thunderbird.edu/wwwfiles/pdf/about_thunderbird/case_series/a15990007.pdf |url=http://www.thunderbird.edu/wwwfiles/pdf/about_thunderbird/case_series/a15990007.pdf |archive-date=30 August 2006 |website=www.thunderbird.edu}}</ref> with theatre director [[Ariane Mnouchkine]] describing it as a "cultural Chernobyl".<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":19" />
=== Ricardo Bofill ===
Architect Ricardo Bofill was born in 1939 in [[Barcelona]], Spain.<ref name=":13">{{Cite web |date=2022-01-14 |title=How Ricardo Bofill Changed Architecture |url=https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/collections/ricardo-bofill-passes-away/ |access-date=2022-05-18 |website=Journal |language=en}}</ref> Originally attending the Barcelona School of Architecture, he was expelled in 1957 due to his radical left wing beliefs that were contrary to the regime of then dictator [[Francisco Franco]].<ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=Waldek |first=Stefanie |date=15 January 2022 |title=Postmodernist Architecture Master Ricardo Bofill has Died |url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/ricardo-bofill-architecture |access-date=2022-05-18 |website=Architectural Digest |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":13" /> After completing his education in Switzerland at the ''Haute École d'art de Design Genève'' in 1960,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bofill |first=Ricardo |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/804106171 |title=Ricardo Bofill : taller de arquitectura : architecture in the era of local culture and international experience. |date=2009 |publisher=Ricardo Bofill |oclc=804106171}}</ref> he spent nine months in the Spanish Military service.<ref name=":15">{{Cite book |first=François |last=Hébert-Stevens |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/980973004 |title=Ricardo Bofill l'architecture d'un homme |date=1978 |publisher=Arthaud |oclc=980973004}}</ref> After his service, he returned to Barcelona in 1963 where he founded his own architecture practice, the Ricardo Bofil Taller de Arquitectura, at the age of 23.<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":14" /> The practice included not only architects, but filmmakers, philosophers, engineers, writers, and [[Sociology|sociologists.]]<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":14" />[[File:Ricardo bofill levi.jpg|thumb|Architect Ricardo Bofill]]
In 1968, the firm proposed an architectural design entitled the 'City in Space' as a "kind of manifesto in reaction to the pressing demands of a society in constant transformation".<ref name=":16">{{Cite web |last=Pasamán |first=Elías Barczuk |date=2022-03-14 |title=The City in Space: A Utopia by Ricardo Bofill |url=https://www.archdaily.com/978349/the-city-in-space-a-utopia-by-ricardo-bofill |access-date=2022-05-18 |website=ArchDaily |language=en-US}}</ref> Of the project, the RBTA wrote: <blockquote>''"This project for the development of a large housing complex was conceived to form a multifunctional neighbourhood, inspired by a vision of social factors very much in keeping with its time. The difficulty was to establish structures that were both complex and flexible, capable of quickly assimilating and even facilitating the changes of everyday reality".''<ref name=":16" /></blockquote>In 1969, the Ministry of Housing assigned land in [[Moratalaz]], Madrid to the project, however the project was ultimately terminated due to "political, bureaucratic and economic circumstances".<ref name=":16" /> Aspects of this early design and its ideology remained prominent in Bofill's work, including idea's of "realisable utopia", "mega-structural character, systems of aggregation, agglomeration and mixture" and "revolutionary action".<ref name=":16" />
Bofill was arrested twice on political grounds, once while he was a student at the Barcelona School of Architecture, and again in 1964 after his return to Barcelona.<ref name=":15" />
He died due to complications from [[COVID-19]] on 14 January 2022, at the age of 82.<ref name=":16" /><ref name=":20">{{Cite news |last=Bernstein |first=Fred A. |date=2022-01-19 |title=Ricardo Bofill, Architect of Otherworldly Buildings, Dies at 82 |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/19/arts/design/ricardo-bofill-dead.html |access-date=2022-05-18 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>
=== Construction and design ===
The building was constructed with [[precast concrete]] panels made by mixing oxides with cement to create a [[polychromatic]] look.<ref name=":1" /> This specific type of prefabricated concrete was developed by the project's engineers and was weather-resistant, and sparked a new age of French concrete construction.<ref name=":10" /> The use of both these panels and of cranes allowed the construction to remain cost effective.<ref name=":1" /> Bofill credits the "brand new manufacturing system" of prefabricated concrete with the construction of the buildings.<ref name=":0" />
The RBTA website, on the construction of Les Espaces d'Abraxas:
<blockquote>''"The façades were built from prefabricated sections, cut according to their individual shapes and not in framed panels, so that the joints are invisible. These panels are stone, a mixture of sand, gray and white cement and oxides. The very light ochre and violet-blue shades obtained from these mixtures are extremely subtle. The aim of using this contemporary material, which harmonizes with the urban center, while remaining discrete, is to rediscover the qualities of stone and cultural references."'' <ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Les Espaces d'Abraxas |url=https://ricardobofill.com/projects/les-espaces-dabraxas/ |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura |language=en-US}}</ref></blockquote>[[File:Plan Espaces Abraxas Noisy Grand.svg|thumb|Plan of the three buildings]]
The development consists of three separate structures (''Le Palacio, Le Théâtre, L'Arc'') surrounding a grass-lined plaza. The largest of the three is the 18-storey ''Le Palacio'' (The Palace) comprising three buildings arranged in a U-shape, and containing 441 individual 2–5-bedroom units.<ref name="boom2017" /> On the other side of the plaza sits ''Le Théâtre'' (The Theatre), the second largest building. Referencing the Roman amphitheatre<ref name=":1" /> the structure is 10 storeys high and semi-circular in shape. Between the two lies the smallest of the three buildings, ''L'Arc'' (The Arch). In his 2014 interview with ''[[Le Monde]]'', Bofill noted that ''Le Théâtre'' had a bigger budget for design and construction, and was "intended for a wealthier category of people".<ref name=":0" />
By his own admission, Bofill's design draws heavily from [[Postmodern architecture|post-modern architectural]] concepts.<ref name=":0" /> The architect has said of the objectives of the building that he "wanted to make an emblematic monument in a very poorly made area".<ref name=":0" /> In the decades following World War II, architectural designs began to reuse the aesthetic languages of "past avant-gardes, notably [[Russian Constructivism]]"<ref name=":5">{{Cite book |last1=Farrell |first1=Terry |last2=Furman |first2=Adam Nathaniel |date=2019-06-28 |title=Revisiting Postmodernism |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780429346125 |doi=10.4324/9780429346125|isbn=9780429346125 |s2cid=241956835 }}</ref> as a symbolic way to "indicate a rediscovered vigour and confidence"<ref name=":5" /> and nationalism.
Post-modern architecture has been attributed with "blending and distorting <nowiki>''</nowiki> recognisable visual principles to create the "uncanny".<ref name=":5" /> Architects Farrell and Furman note the combination of grand proportions and classical Roman, Greek and Baroque shapes in Les Espaces d'Abraxas as being "a unique combination of the romantic sublime and totalitarian awe" and posit this as a possible reason for its popularity as a "backdrop for dystopian feature films".<ref name=":5" />
The outdoor plaza, situated in the centre of the development, was designed to mirror the [[Roman Forum]]s.<ref name=":5" /> This communal space was key to Bofill, as he intended for Les Espaces d'Abraxas to "mix social categories" and create community spirit.<ref name=":0" /> His intention was to "invest this mass housing with a sense of narrative, to replace the bare functionalism of many urban apartment blocks".<ref name=":17">{{Cite book |last=Unwin |first=Simon |date=2016-07-07 |title=The Ten Most Influential Buildings in History |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315708560 |doi=10.4324/9781315708560|isbn=9781317483250 }}</ref> This follows the post-modern tradition which saw a move away from the "functionality of modernism",<ref name=":12" /> towards more neoclassical forms.<ref name=":12" /> The invention of new technologies, like prefabricated concrete, combined with classical motifs allowed a "pseudo luxurious extravagance" to be achieved that was traditionally withheld only for the upper classes.<ref name=":17" />
There are tree-planted gardens atop the roofs of both ''Le Théâtre'' and ''L'Arc'', however they are not accessible to the inhabitants.<ref name=":4" />
== Critical reception ==
His work with the French authorities in the 'New Towns' brought Bofill "worldwide fame and consolidated his international practice".<ref name=":10" /> Critics, however, have compared his "supposedly ironic use of Classicism with the entirely unironic social housing of [[Socialist realism|Soviet Realism]]".<ref name=":10" />
The post-modern design of the building's shape led to "awkward floor plans for the units inside".<ref name=":1" /> In a 2014 interview with ''Le Monde'', Bofill claimed he has "not succeeded in changing the city", claiming that the "unique space suffered from the lack of community spirit specific to France".<ref name=":0" />
In 2006, the Noisy-le-Grand local government introduced plans to "demolish parts of the development".<ref name="archdaily" /> This proposal was met with "widespread resentment"<ref name="archdaily" /> from the community, and was subsequently scrapped. Of the proposed demolition, Bofill stated that "Demolishing them would be a lack of culture".<ref name=":0" />
In 2019, critic [[Owen Hatherley]] discussed Les Espaces d'Abraxas in his article ''The good, the bad and the ugly – neoclassical architecture in modern times'' for the international art magazine ''[[Apollo (magazine)|Apollo]]''.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |last=Hatherley |first=Owen |date=2019-01-02 |title=Modern neoclassical architecture |url=https://www.apollo-magazine.com/neoclassical-architecture-21st-century/ |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=Apollo Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> Hatherley criticises the "sinister, domineering quality" of the development, which he attributes to the communist influence at the time, claiming that "here you cannot forget for a moment that you're in a massive modern housing estate".<ref name=":6" />
==Arts and popular culture==
In 1985, an exhibition entitled "Architecture, Urbanism and History" was mounted by the [[Museum of Modern Art]] in New York City, which focused on the work of Bofill and [[Léon Krier|Leon Krier.]]<ref name=":18">{{Cite news |last=Goldberger |first=Faul |date=1985-06-30 |title=Architecture View; Embracing Classicism In Different Ways |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/06/30/arts/architecture-view-embracing-classicism-in-different-ways.html |access-date=2022-05-18 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The exhibition, which included colour photographs of his buildings, including Les Espaces d'Abraxas, was sponsored by Gerald D. Hines Interests as part of a series of exhibitions to "focus on important younger architects".<ref name=":18" /> The exhibition ran from June until September 1985.<ref name=":18" />
The unusual and monumental appearance of ''Espaces d'Abraxas'' has made it a favorite background set for unreal, often dystopian narratives. It features prominently in ''[[Brazil (1985 film)|Brazil]]'' (1985) and in ''[[The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2]]'' (2015), where the characters attempt to flee as a substance similar to [[tar]] fills the bucket-like plaza.<ref name="boom2017" /> It also appears in ''[[À mort l'arbitre]]'' (Kill the Referee) (1984),<ref>{{cite web |author=Myriam Roche |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/2016/09/15/journees-du-patrimoine-2016-espace-dabraxas-hunger-games-video_n_12005266.html |title=On a visité les décors du dernier "Hunger Games" pour les Journées du patrimoine 2016 et on s'y croirait |website=Le Huffington Post |date=15 September 2016}}</ref> ''[[F.B.I. Frog Butthead Investigators]]'' (2012), and the French TV mini-series ''{{ill|Trepalium (TV series){{!}}Trepalium|fr|Trepalium (série télévisée)}}'' (2016).
It also appears in music videos by [[Princess Stéphanie of Monaco|Stéphanie of Monaco]] ("[[Ouragan (song)|Ouragan]]", 1986), [[Leck (rapper)|Leck]] ("Fais le L", 2012), {{ill|Carbon Airways|fr}} ("Break the Silence", 2015), [[Marwa Loud]] ("Fallait pas", 2017),<ref>{{cite web |author=Alexis Bayat |title=Marwa Loud ambiance à nouveau dans le clip "Fallait Pas" |website=Booska-P |date=22 December 2017 |url=https://www.booska-p.com/new-marwa-loud-ambiance-nouveau-dans-le-clip-fallait-pas-video-n84039.html}}</ref> [[Médine (rapper)|Médine]] ("Grand Paris", 2017), [[Adel Tawil]] ("{{ill|Tu m'appelles|de}}", 2017), and [[Ufo361]] ("Nur zur Info", 2020).
The building and its inhabitants are features in French photographer Laurent Kronental's ongoing photo series ''Souvenir d'un Futur''.<ref name="archdaily" /> The photo series centres on the occupants of the various "Grands Ensembles" in Paris.
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
File:Le Palacio at Les Espaces d'Abraxas.jpg|Le Théâtre
File:L'Arc (the arch).jpg|L'Arc
File:Le Théâtre (the theater).jpg|Le Palacio d’Abraxas
</gallery>
== See also ==
* [[Walden 7]]
* [[Les Arcades du Lac]]
* [[Les Echelles du Baroque]]
* [[Antigone, Montpellier]]
* [[List of works by Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1982 establishments in France]]
[[Category:Ricardo Bofill buildings]]
[[Category:Seine-Saint-Denis]]
[[Category:Postmodern architecture]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Île-de-France]]