Workers' housing estates. The Silk District in Colmar: "We're a small village within the city."

Nearly 100 years after its construction in Colmar, the Cité de la Soie has retained its soul. The structure of its 280 housing units, spread over two streets nearly a kilometer long and intersected by cross roads, has survived the ages. While garages have sometimes replaced gardens, the spirit of camaraderie characteristic of workers' housing projects has, for many, remained.

An informal aperitif for neighbors from the Cité de la Soie, who wouldn't leave their neighborhood for anything in the world. Photo by Nicolas Pinot

“Before buying, I looked into the environment. The previous owners confirmed my first impression. They told me, ‘You’ll see, it’s great here.’ And it is.” Caroline Schmidt has lived in the Cité de la Soie in Colmar since 2019. “I’m one of the latest arrivals. I was made very welcome. Here, people look out for each other. They’re there for us, without being intrusive.” Nazia, her neighbor, who moved in in 2003, made the same observation. We’re at the beginning of the neighborhood, on the Rue de la Soie side, the very one that leads to the artificial silk factory in Alsace.

In 1926, the company moved to the northern part of Colmar, at a time when viscose clothing and fabrics were booming, light and soft to the touch. But there was no unemployment at the time. Workers had to be attracted. This was a period of paternalism, of a social vision of housing . Architects Voelkel and Wolf were tasked with designing a vast city where...

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