The history of architecture and urbanism is classically represented as a sequence of major doctrines. However, the well-known architectural "-isms " are bound together with productions of the so-called " transitional " periods, the legacy of which deserves special scientific interest. A significant number of these kinds of " in-between product " in the field of social housing was built during the 1960s and 1970s, between the periods of modernism and postmodernism. At the end of the 1980s in many European countries, particularly in France, massive renovation processes were started, which continue to this day. Due to political, social and aesthetic changes, a great deal of postwar residential heritage has been radically reconstructed or demolished. This process touches not only ordinary residential groups (so-called grands ensembles), but also harms some of the more interesting ensembles. Many of them are undervalued and have not been rehabilitated since their creation, with some often doomed to disappear. The current paper is an attempt to analyse the historical, urban and morphological aspects of the Maurelette residential complex, built in the northern suburbs of Marseille during 1963-1965. The design particularities of the Maurelette complex demonstrate the ambition to create a " non-ordinary " ensemble using ordinary and inexpensive construction means and materials. The original interpretation of the traditional square, street and rampart could be considered as early applications of postmodernist ideas of free " expression " of historical urban forms. This case study intends to raise awareness about the heritage constructed between the major architectural periods, which deserve to be included in the contemporary urban structure without negating or altering their authentic concept. Its existence will contribute to the continued urban environment, thereby making the modern city more resilient.