"Beton Brut" by Heather Merenda, ,

While exploring Marseille, France, I stumbled upon this curving slab on stilts, better known as Le Brasilia by Fernand Boukobza. The apartment building arcs to take maximum advantage of the light, while a series of roughcast concrete spiral staircases coil themselves down one side to form a fire escape. Transforming a functional element into a sculptural object, this "beton brut" design reminiscent of a seashell, looks so at home beside the Mediterranean that I couldn't resist taking a photo.