Thermal Bath Complex Morocco Architecture, Fondation Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion, CDG
Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex
New Grant Awards for 20th Century Architecture in Morocco – design by Jean-François Zevaco, Architect
1 Aug 2017
Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex in Morocco
Design: Jean-François Zevaco Architect
Location: Sidi Harazem, Morocco – located just 15 minutes from Fez
Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex
Fondation Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG)
Date built: 1958
Morocco Thermal Baths Complex One of Twelve Recipients of Getty Foundation’s Keeping It Modern Grants
Nestled in a Moroccan oasis where ancient mineral springs have drawn visitors for centuries, the Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex represents a marriage of nature, public space, and modern architecture. Built four years after Moroccan independence, the complex is the ambitious statement of a new nation determined to create modern and forward-thinking gathering places for its citizens.
In 1957, a state-owned pension fund commissioned Moroccan-born French architect Jean-François Zevaco to design the site. Opened a year later to widespread acclaim, the complex is Zevaco’s largest work and marks an early example of concepts that he would revisit throughout his prolific career.
By the 1980s the aging baths had waned in popularity and today only limited parts of the site are open to the public. The market, bungalows, and central courtyard— envisioned by Zevaco as the heart and soul of the site—remain closed indefinitely. The Fondation Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion (CDG), which owns the site, is committed to reopening it fully in response to a renewed interest in the oasis.
By using Getty funds to create a conservation plan to inform future interventions, the CDG can preserve the complex’s architectural significance while allowing careful adaptations that will improve the location as a tourist center. The resulting plan will create a preservation roadmap that puts the site’s owner and the local community on the path to revitalizing and restoring the baths to their full functionality.
Grant support: $150,000
Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex in Morocco Building images / information from The Getty Foundation
Getty Foundation Keeping it Modern 2017 Grants
Location: Morocco, North Africa
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Website: Sidi Harazem Thermal Bath Complex