MVRDV and The Why Factory at TU Delft have announced the release of Le Grand Puzzle, a book showcasing the result of intensive research of Marseille. The project was made from 2018 to the beginning of 2020 by an international team of architects and urbanists from MVRDV and The Why Factory in collaboration with Manifesta 13. 

"Le Grand Puzzle shows the incredible urban possibilities and impossibilities of Marseille, through conversations, analyses, maps and ideas," said Winy Maas, co-founder of MVRDV and director of The Why Factory in a statement. "It forms an urban portrait of Marseille; a constructive mirror to Marseille." 

The study was commissioned as the foundational base of the Manifesta 13 Marsielle art exhibition. "Marseille is a city of flux, transit and trade. It responds to a diversity of contradictory connotations. So it offers a rare prism we can use to investigate multiple questions that are crucial to Europe’s future and current crises," Maas added. "Our research was an exciting challenge and complex journey. This research is a base to trigger discussions on how we want to live and to reflect on ideas about how to transform the city. We are grateful for all of those who shared their stories with us, opened up their institutions’ doors and gave us the support we needed to understand the complex puzzle that is Marseille."

Le Grand Puzzle will be launched August 29th with a live streamed  panel discussion led by local "city maker" Tarik Ghezali, with the participation of Winy Maas, Marseille's new mayor Michèle Rubirola, the deputy to the Mayor for Culture Jean-Marc Coppola, Manifesta's Founder and Director Hedwig Fijen, along with other urban specialists.