Energy, flow and transportation though the city: travaux haussmanniens
From the film Rivers and Tides and the discussion following, I really took away the points that one needs to know/understand the materials in order to be able to use them correctly, and that the environment grows with our understanding of it.
In thinking about these points and the idea of energy, flow and transportation though the city I realized that the flow of a city, of its people and goods can depend greatly on the organization of a city.
The French philosopher Descartes say that “ there is often not so much perfection in works composed as many pieces and made by the hands of various master craftsmen as there is in those works on which but a single individual has worked�. This is a very important factor to consider in the layout of a city, especially those that started from mere villages and turned into great and large cities filled with crooked and uneven streets from their constant growth. The organization of a city not only contributes to the flow and transportation of people and goods but also of the heath and life of a city.
The renovation of Paris was a huge undertaking that made a significant impact on Parisian life and the future of Paris as a one of the world’s capital cities. Paris held the same structure from the Middle Ages until the mid 1800’s with intertwining narrow streets and overcrowded buildings that encumbered traffic flow resulting in unhealthy living conditions. Baron Haussmann was appointed to urbanize the city. His endeavors included widening boulevards up to 100 feet wide, creating straight streets running from major intersections and places, opening the city up East-West, North-South and connecting the outer districts by means of major avenues. Haussmann’s work also included the construction of railroads, which run the length of some of the major streets and new water and sewer systems were created. The newly constructed buildings of Paris were regulated and with the widening of streets helped to increase air circulation. In order to reconnect Paris as much as possible with the environment, new parks were created along with the planting of trees which line many of the roadways.
London was another city greatly changed during the same period as Paris and caused the city to have a rapid growth which enabled London to become of one the first cities to attain the population of one million people.
Haussmann’s ability to renovate Paris in one stroke was generated by his understanding of what Paris as a city needed for its people and its culture. Understanding and realizing these needs is just as important as Andy Goldsworthy’s knowledge of the materials he worked with. Between the two of them, their comprehension of the materials and the situations they were working with allowed them to create there own work of art.
Paris 1700's
Paris 1866
Paris: Ile de France before renovation
Paris: Ile de France with changes for the renovation indicated
Paris: red lines indicate major changes in streets. Need for straight roads through city for transportation purposes