#ArchitectureFriday | Few buildings capture the imagination like the Arènes de Picasso in Noisy-le-Grand, France - a bold and surreal landmark of postmodern design. Unveiled in 1985 and designed by Spanish-French architect Manuel Núñez Yanowsky, this striking complex was part of France’s ambitious ville nouvelle ('new town') initiative - a radical effort to rethink suburban living in the post-war era. At its core are 540 social housing units, a secondary school, and shops - but it’s the architecture that steals the spotlight. Two colossal concrete discs, each about 50 metres in diameter, anchor the complex. Hovering over the courtyards like alien spacecraft, they’ve earned nicknames like the eyes of the city and flying saucers. Inspired by Roman amphitheatres yet defiantly futuristic, the design fuses classical form with a utopian vision of urban life. Though once controversial, the Arènes de Picasso is now recognised as a landmark of European architectural heritage, and a vivid reminder that social housing can be both functional and fantastical. 📸 1: @dec_michal, 2+3: @lanasator