2 Place de la Major

The Mairie 2/3 of Marseille, which covers the 2nd and 3rd districts, is located on Place de la Major, at the foot of the cathedral, in one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods. At first glance, its architecture might suggest an old building, with a façade featuring classical accents that seem to blend harmoniously with the surrounding heritage. In reality, however, it is a modern administrative building, constructed at the end of the 20th century to meet the needs of the new municipal organization established in the 1980s.

This contrast between a traditional appearance and a recent construction creates a somewhat deceptive effect, further emphasized by its symbolic location in one of Marseille’s founding areas. The city is divided into 8 municipal sectors, each with its own local town hall responsible for essential day-to-day administrative services: civil status (births, marriages, deaths), military census, school registrations, certain social housing applications, or urban planning authorizations. It also provides consultative opinions on development projects within its sector (roads, buildings, preemption declarations, etc.).

The Mairie 2/3 therefore has no heritage value in itself but illustrates the will to maintain a visible institutional presence in a historic site, using contemporary architecture with discreetly classical features. It plays a concrete role in local administration while occupying an emblematic location in Old Marseille.