Casablanca's Historic Abattoirs Set for Cultural Transformation
Casablanca Aménagement has officially launched a tender for the engineering project management of the restoration and rehabilitation of the historic abattoirs located in Casablanca. The estimated budget for the engineering services is set at 2,168,280 dirhams, inclusive of taxes, with a provisional guarantee required of 22,000 dirhams. This initiative marks the beginning of a significant operational phase, as the appointment of a project manager is essential for a venture that transcends mere technical aspects.
The former abattoirs, situated in the Hay Mohammadi neighborhood, represent one of the city’s most remarkable industrial architectural ensembles. Constructed during the French Protectorate in the 1920s, based on designs by architect Auguste Cadet, they span several hectares and serve as a direct testament to the functional colonial urban planning characteristic of Casablanca between the two world wars. Their reinforced concrete halls, industrial skylights, and internal courtyards form a cohesive structure that has long been recognized for its heritage value by architects, historians, and cultural stakeholders in the city.
Having been decommissioned for several decades following the relocation of slaughtering activities to peripheral sites, the former abattoirs experienced an extended period of neglect, which was intermittently interrupted by informal uses and temporary occupations. This prolonged vacancy has paradoxically endowed the site with a unique aura within Casablanca’s cultural landscape: it has become a space of collective memory for the working class, an area for spontaneous artistic creation, and a backdrop for film shoots and urban performances. It has also hosted editions of Dak'Art outside its traditional venue and served as a platform for various independent cultural initiatives that recognized, long before public decision-makers, the potential for transformation.
The restoration and rehabilitation project led by Casablanca Aménagement is part of a broader vision for the requalification of Hay Mohammadi, one of the city’s densest and most vibrant neighborhoods, where revitalization is a key urban challenge. The conversion of the former abattoirs into a cultural and artistic facility — as highlighted in the project's general guidelines — aligns with significant transformations of industrial wastelands into cultural centers that have occurred in numerous global metropolises over recent decades, from the Tate Modern in London to Halle Tropisme in Montpellier, alongside African initiatives such as the Abattoirs of Dakar.
The project management tender will encompass all preliminary studies, architectural design, construction oversight, and technical coordination of the site.
As reported by lopinion.ma.
