Built between 1961 and 1965, the Maison de la Culture was the only building completed during the lifetime of the architect. His design stemmed from the programme of André Malraux, who was looking to make "works of human genius" that could be accessed by everyone.
The building, 112 metres in length, was constructed on a former coal grit quarry, and has an unusual exterior profile: the roof rests on a system of cables giving the impression of an inverted arch. The audacious incline of its western façade is judiciously reused inside, since this enabled tiers to be incorporated.

The undulating window walls, which are all along the east and west façades, are the work of Le Corbusier and Iannis Xenakis (composer) who combined colours and sizes, which are as musical as they are architectural.
The furniture in the building was designed by Pierre Guariche, an architect and designer working with the "Modulor", the measuring unit established by Le Corbusier to create harmony and proportions adapted to the human scale.
The Maison de la Culture houses various rooms with different uses: an auditorium, a theatre, a fine arts room, a bodily expression room etc.

Having been awarded Historical Monument status in 1984, it is still being used for activities for which it was originally designed: a place for shows and artistic creation, an associated music school, an interpreting centre etc.