Art Deco Casablanca

Between 1912 and 1956, French architects created what is now the largest collection of Art Deco buildings in Africa. The key figure was Marius Boyer, who designed over 200 buildings in Casablanca alone, blending Parisian modernism with Moroccan motifs — geometric zellige patterns rendered in concrete, horseshoe arches abstracted into Art Deco geometry. The ensemble includes the Marché Central, Cathédrale du Sacré-Cœur, Cinema Rialto, and the Habous Quarter. Many buildings are now threatened by neglect and demolition, though preservation efforts have accelerated since Casablanca's inscription on the Tentative World Heritage List.