Since the time of the central market’s erection, the Halles in Paris has been a place of architectural experimentation as well as the mirror of the characters, conflicts and socioeconomic transformations of different ages and many urban societies. The construction of the Halles Centrales, strongly supported by the July Monarchy, dates back to the mid-19th century and represents the culmination of a troubled history. Born to be the ‘Louvre of the People’, by Victor Baltard it became a masterpiece of lightness and transparency. This gigantic belly of metal was demolished in 1972 to create an underground shopping centre. This was a traumatic episode in the life of the Capital, which however marked the birth of a new historical consciousness towards the protection of the urban environment. In 2010, even this unattractive structure, already unsuitable to its role of one of the major entrances of Paris, was destroyed to proceed with a new urban reorganization aimed at making the district more welcoming and cohesive. This project has triggered a new debate regarding the appropriateness of contemporary architectural insertions into historic areas to which this paper intends to contribute.

Les Halles: il nuovo cuore dell’antica Parigi? Una riflessione sul ruolo dell’architettura contemporanea nella città storica.

VERSACI, ANTONELLA
2016-01-01

Abstract

Since the time of the central market’s erection, the Halles in Paris has been a place of architectural experimentation as well as the mirror of the characters, conflicts and socioeconomic transformations of different ages and many urban societies. The construction of the Halles Centrales, strongly supported by the July Monarchy, dates back to the mid-19th century and represents the culmination of a troubled history. Born to be the ‘Louvre of the People’, by Victor Baltard it became a masterpiece of lightness and transparency. This gigantic belly of metal was demolished in 1972 to create an underground shopping centre. This was a traumatic episode in the life of the Capital, which however marked the birth of a new historical consciousness towards the protection of the urban environment. In 2010, even this unattractive structure, already unsuitable to its role of one of the major entrances of Paris, was destroyed to proceed with a new urban reorganization aimed at making the district more welcoming and cohesive. This project has triggered a new debate regarding the appropriateness of contemporary architectural insertions into historic areas to which this paper intends to contribute.
2016
978-88-7970-816-6
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11387/119117
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