Can you imagine a time before modern plumbing? Here at Cour Cado, such a life was reality. Cour Cado is more than just a quaint courtyard. It represents a significant piece of Lille’s social history. It exemplifies the “courées,” a unique housing style born from the Industrial Revolution.
Cour Cado, along with other courées like Cour de Polonge and Cour Notre-Dame, sprang up to house the burgeoning working class. These small, uniform houses, tightly packed around a shared courtyard, offered basic shelter. They were often built by small-time landlords seeking to maximize profits from their land. Think narrow facades and cramped interiors, a single room downstairs, and another upstairs for the entire family. Perhaps a cellar and attic if they were lucky.
Life in Cour Cado revolved around the communal courtyard. Imagine a single fountain serving as the primary water source. Picture shared latrines and a central gutter for waste disposal. Overcrowding was the norm, fostering a strong sense of community and mutual support among the residents. Daily life demanded collaboration. Cleaning the 60-meter drainage channel, where wastewater and refuse flowed, was a collective task.
While some courées fell into disrepair and became symbols of poverty, Cour Cado and others found new life through renovation. Starting in the 1970s, extensions were added, bringing indoor plumbing, including the luxury of a shower, to these once-basic dwellings. Many residents became homeowners, reclaiming their sense of belonging and pride in their unique community. Cour Cado stands as a testament to Lille’s architectural heritage and the resilience of its working-class communities. It reminds us of a time when shared hardship forged lasting bonds and a sense of shared identity. These courées, once symbols of industrial expansion and its social consequences, now represent a unique chapter in Lille’s history.