Casamémoire

Casamémoire is a rare cultural object in Morocco, for the preservation of an equally rare architectural heritage, that of Casablanca.

Indeed, Casablanca is the only city in Morocco to have sprung up virtually “from nothing”, with frenetic urban development outside the medina. Large districts such as La Foncière were created even before the Protectorate came to power, and the city attracted many foreign architects who, even after independence, built modern buildings, creating an exceptional mix of styles.

Yet this heritage is neither valued nor maintained, and is often even destroyed for property development purposes. One demolition too many was that of the Villa Mokri, built by architect Marius Boyer, in 1995.

Its logo represents an emblematic building of the modern city, the Paquet building recognisable by the “waves” on its balconies.

Casamémoire was born out of opposition to this demolition and brings together professionals, architects, historians and, quite simply, Casablancans who love their city.

The association’s work is multi-faceted, involving heritage surveys, lobbying for classification, training courses, guided tours and, today, an online intangible inventory. Since the 2000s, it has also been organising the Casablanca Heritage Days, a week of events, open days, exhibitions and so on.

Finally, it publishes guides and books to highlight the richness of this architectural heritage, which continues to be under threat.

Working closely with the city of Casablanca and the Wilaya, the association has developed numerous partnerships with cultural players and businesses in Casablanca.

On the map

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