United Nations Square, Casablanca

Central to the history of modern Casablanca is United Nations Square. Before French colonization, this area was known as Grand Market. In 1908, after the French bombardment and occupation of Casablanca, the French commander Charles Martial Joseph Dessigny ordered the construction of a clock tower here, marking the start of significant colonial intervention.

The space was soon named “Square of the Clock”. A planning team led by General Hubert Lyautey and architect Henri Prost then reconfigured the square and much of the town according to new urban designs. The original clock tower was demolished in 1948 amid mid-century urban changes, primarily to open the way for the Royal Armed Forces Avenue, laid out under planner Michel Écochard. A new clock tower, modeled after the original, was constructed at the south of the square in 1993.

Another visual marker within the evolving square is the “Globe” sculpture, designed in 1975 by architect Jean-François Zevaco. It is located within the open central area of the square, closer to the tram lines. Along the northern edge, the square opens toward Avenue of the Royal Armed Forces, which runs along the boundary of the old medina.