When you think of Moroccan architecture, your mind likely drifts to medinas, zellige mosaics, riads, and arched courtyards. But there’s another powerful visual layer across Morocco: one defined by raw concrete, bold geometry, and a daring reimagining of tradition. This is the world of Jean-François Zévaco, one of the most influential and still underappreciated architects of 20th-century Morocco.
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A Pioneer Between Two Worlds
Born in Casablanca in 1916, Zévaco studied at the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. But unlike many who brought back European models and applied them without context, Zévaco returned to Morocco with a different vision. He aimed to create architecture that was both modern and Moroccan.
He became part of a new generation of post-war architects who sought to free Moroccan architecture from colonial mimicry. Instead, they wove together international modernism with local specificity.
Zévaco’s Brutalism with a Moroccan Accent
Zévaco’s work is often classified as Brutalist, using raw, exposed concrete to shape bold, sculptural buildings. But to reduce his architecture to a style would miss the point. His true innovation lay in translating modernism into something meaningful in the Moroccan context.
- He respected local climate and customs, integrating shade, airflow, and inner courtyards.
- He drew on Islamic spatial logic, without imitating ornamentation.
- He created spaces that served real, social needs, from public baths to housing and schools.
In his hands, concrete became poetic, textured, and alive, a material that responded to both function and feeling.
Three Defining Projects
Sidi Harazem Thermal Baths (near Fez)
Built in the 1960s, these thermal baths are among Zévaco’s most iconic works. A sweeping, organic complex of concrete pavilions set against the hills, Sidi Harazem is both monumental and deeply human. Today, it is undergoing a sensitive restoration led by Moroccan architect Aziza Chaouni, a sign of its enduring architectural value.
The Reconstruction of Agadir (post-1960 earthquake)
After the catastrophic earthquake that flattened Agadir, Zévaco was enlisted to help rebuild. His projects in the city, from schools to housing, reflect a radical optimism, using modern forms to imagine a better, more resilient future.
Casablanca’s Modernist Villas
In his hometown, Zévaco designed a number of striking residential villas, such as Villa Gilardi and Villas Suissa. These homes showcase his ability to blend privacy, light, and climate into expressive modern forms. Many remain standing, discreetly tucked into Casablanca’s upscale neighbourhoods.
A Quiet Revolutionary
Zévaco was not an attention-seeking “starchitect.” He didn’t chase headlines or aesthetic gimmicks. His work speaks softly but powerfully. It communicates ideas about dignity, space, and identity through architecture.
In an era of rapid development and imported styles, Zévaco’s buildings remind us of a different path. One where architecture listens to the place it inhabits, instead of imposing upon it.
A Legacy Being Rediscovered
While Jean-François Zévaco passed away in 2003, his legacy is experiencing a resurgence. Architects, scholars, and cultural institutions are increasingly exploring and restoring his work. Not as relics of the past, but as sources of inspiration for Morocco’s future.
At a time when cities are seeking sustainability, cultural authenticity, and beauty beyond ornament, Zévaco’s vision feels more relevant than ever.
Jean-François Zévaco Building a Moroccan Modernity
Jean-François Zévaco did not merely build structures. He shaped a way of thinking. He showed that modernism doesn’t need to erase tradition, and that progress doesn’t mean detachment from place.
His architecture is a bridge: between the local and the global, the historical and the experimental, the material and the meaningful.
Rediscovering Zévaco isn’t just about the past. It’s about imagining a more grounded and visionary Moroccan future.
