Le Silo
Discover the history of the CEPAC Silo in Marseille, a concert and performance venue located in La Joliette!
THE BIG TRANSFORMATION OF MARSEILLE'S SILO
For many years, the Silo de Marseille was used as a storage reservoir for storing grains on behalf of the port industries of Marseille. Currently, the CEPAC Silo has become one of the most famous cultural spaces in Marseille.
HISTORY OF THE MARSEILLE SILO
The Silo was built in 1927 within the port area of Marseille. It was used as a grain storage warehouse. Due to the increasing commercial exchanges of this product and the development of handling equipment, the construction company Froment-Clavier took charge of expanding the silo. Their goal was to create a silo with a larger storage capacity.
After rehabilitation and renovation, the Marseille silo became a flagship industrial building in the city. Indeed, this storage tank has 57 cylindrical drums of 8.5 meters in height, 42 tanks with a conservation area of 16,000 m². It is one of the largest silos in France at that time. In 1984, the silo finally ceased all activity due to economic deficit.
THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SILO INTO A FAMOUS CULTURAL SPACE
It wasn't until the year 2000 that the SOGIMA company took charge of the renovation and transformation works of the building into a performance venue and office space thanks to two famous architects Roland Carta and Eric Castaldi. Rehabilitation works began in 2007 and ended in 2011. The cost of the works amounted to over 30 million euros.
With all these renovations, the silo has now become a renowned performance venue in France. This cultural space is capable of accommodating up to 2100 spectators. Various cultural events and activities have taken place on the stage of the silo, including theater, concerts, ballets, and even cultural exchanges. On average, there are 80 performances each year at the CEPAC Silo in Marseille.