Marrakech – France officially inaugurated its renovated Institut Français in Tangier on January 31, marking a century since the buildings first housed the French Consulate General in 1926, with the facility opening to the public today.
Ambassador Christophe Lecourtier, Consul General Stéphanie Petitbon, and Institut Français du Maroc Director General Agnès Humruzian presided over the ceremony. Regional Tangier authorities, local personalities, and French community representatives attended the event.
The new institute occupies the historic Place de France site, spanning 1.5 hectares in central Tangier. The complex includes a landscaped park and three historic buildings constructed between 1880 and 1926, including the former French Consulate General building.
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France launched the modernization program in 2021 with what officials called “a clear objective: renovate and rethink this unique and emblematic site.” The project aimed to balance modernity, heritage preservation, environmental performance, and urban integration.
Construction proceeded in two phases to maintain operational continuity. The first phase, from May 2023 to June 2024, completely renovated the former consular residence, which now serves as the Consulate General headquarters.
The second phase, running from October 2024 to January 2026, transformed the former Consulate General premises into the Institut Français. This work included complete interior redesign and ambitious exterior space upgrades.
Project managers maintained constant respect for the buildings’ historical value while adapting structures to current public access requirements. Circulation spaces were redesigned and made fully accessible to people with reduced mobility.
The renovated institute now houses multiple facilities serving diverse audiences. A new Campus France space assists Moroccan students seeking to study in France.
The complex features a media library for adults, teenagers, and children, plus a room dedicated to literary meetings, debates, and concerts. The landscaped park serves as “a true green lung in the heart of the city,” according to official documentation.
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Following the new Institut Français opening in Fez in early 2025, the Tangier facility represents another major step in developing the Institut Français du Maroc network, described as the world’s largest French cultural presence.
The Institut français du Maroc is part of France’s global cultural network, which began with France’s first “French Institute” in Florence in 1907 and now includes over 140 institutes worldwide promoting culture, language, and academic exchange.
In Morocco, the network has 12-14 centers across major cities like Rabat, Casablanca, and Marrakech, acting as hubs for cultural programming, language learning, and artistic cooperation between France and Morocco.
The inauguration week featured multiple cultural events. An aerial photography exhibition of 1950s and 1960s Tangier opened January 23, displaying images from Marrakech’s photography museum collection. On January 28, the Beckett Hall hosted “Live Magazine,” described as “a living and ephemeral journal where true stories come to life on stage.”
January 30 events included an installation of Khalil El Ghrib’s “En prose” exhibition in the institute’s garden and the opening of photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s “Legacy” exhibition at Galerie Delacroix.
The inauguration day program featured author Tahar Ben Jelloun presenting his new book “pigiste au Monde,” published January 21 by Gallimard. Journalist Nadia Paquereau moderated the discussion. A signing session followed, along with an official press conference.
The evening ceremony concluded with a concert by Thierry Beaucoup and Halima El Gourd. The institute provided artistic facade illumination, supported by technology company Epson.
“We are delighted to support the Institut Français in Tangier in this artistic evening where digital creation dialogues with architecture,” said Ilias Azzaoui, Epson General Director for Francophone Africa.
The project consolidates French diplomatic and cultural presence at a single Tangier location, and reinforces Paris’ commitment to supporting the northern city’s ongoing transformations.
Franco-Moroccan ties have long been shaped by cultural diplomacy as much as by politics or economics. Language, education, and cultural institutions have served as enduring instruments of influence, continuity, and mutual familiarity, structuring elite formation, public discourse, and soft power across generations.
Read also: MWN Exclusive: Ambassador Christophe Lecourtier Details Vision for Morocco-France Ties
