Part
III
25
May 2013
“High
time”
“Grand
Paris Project”
the presentation of Bertrand Lemoine
Director
General of
the Atelier International Grand Paris (AIGP)
in
the Nevskaya Courtine of the St. Peter and Paul Fortress
with
the collaboration of PRO ARTE Foundation for Culture and Arts
We
had the privilege of meeting with Bertrand Lemoine in Saint Peterburg
on 25 May 2013. Bertrand Lemoine, an engineer, architect,
architectural historian, author, technical advisor, chief editor,
manager and director of the multitude of projects, departments and
institutions in the different aspects of his professional field, the
frequent guest of architectural forums, biennale and seminars in
Moscow, introduced to Saint Petersburg's public the highly modern
French model of the sustainable existence of metropolises, the sole
possible state of their being - development. Bertrand Lemoine tried
to convey the latest social and philosophical ideas and the gleams of
technological achievements, antipodes of chaos, despondency,
inertness and desolation, companions and followers of mankind life
and so far begotten by it organized systems.
Grand
Paris, the pivot of Ile-de-France, is incredibly complicated
tremendous and diverse creature possessing an international
reputation.
It's
profitable center - classical wealthy by it's attainments Paris with
the multitude of cultural and architectural treasures, bedroom
communities, office districts and suburbs - is the source of the half
of the gross national product of France. It incorporates diverse
sides of life and styles and levels of living. And it is surrounded
by the layers of pictorial gardens, parks, forests and functioning
rural and agricultural areas. The infrastructure of this intense
region is mainly developed.
The
modern structure of magnificent and complex Paris was begotten by the
system and the evolution of crenellated battlements. The last wall of
1845 established the historical center of the city. The epoch of
organized architectural planning began in 1920's-1930's. Since these
times Paris has been splashing out of it's borders. In 1934 the new conception and the term of Paris region was
defined. In 1965 was
decided to create 5 new cities around Paris. The realization of this
choice applied the ideas of the previously accepted plan of
development. For the following years the metropolis has been
enlarging. Intensive growth was substituted for extensive spacial
growth. Utmost functional growing suburbs weren't able to find their
identity while the center, old Paris,
exceptionally attractive and saturated by cultural landmarks and the
traces of history, remained the same.
The
problems begotten by the natural evolutions of the urban reality and
environment are those problems which modern Parisians through the
interaction with organised by their will and efforts new public
institution, Atelier International Grand Paris, have and it seems intend to solve.
It
was decided to undertake actions regarding the next fields attracting
particular attention of French and international parts of the team of
architects, city planners, philosophers and the public.
Transport
The
transport system of the large agglomeration is planed to be
developed. The new system and the additional branches of public
transport must interconnect all clusters of the metropolis, the
economically successful districts and the economically challenged,
especially important ones at the periphery, and provide them easy and
fast access to the center.
This
direction includes development and innovations: significant
enlargement of the subway equipped by new automated trains, 72 new railway
stations appropriate for the next integration with other kinds of
transport and forthcoming it's new systems, 175 additional kilometres
of the subway, the total length has to achieve the sizes about 80 to 110
kilometres from the north to the south and approximately 130
kilometres from the east to the west; expanded web of
high-speed trains; trams; the separated lines for the movement of
buses; the invention and the introduction of the symbiotic system of private, the privilege of remote regions, and public transport,
promotion of the core element of this symbiosis, electric vehicles.
Infrastructure
At
the same time the regions of metropolis must be specified. This is,
for example, already defined the mathematical and physical
specialisation of researches on the south and the region for
aerospace investigations on the north. New secondary centers
surrounded by minor ones with own developed infrastructure have to be
created.
Mentioned above actions, firstly, will allow to hasten and simplify
the travelling for the citizens of Grand Paris and it's guests,
secondly, they will increase the attractiveness of the remote regions
and, consequently, decrease traffic. Finally, the new utterly
contemporary and beautiful projects and completed buildings will
become the sources of pride and the way of the discovery of
personality and the next identity of those remote districts. They
will improve social climate and strengthen social interaction and social
connections. Among these projects, buildings changing the appearance
and the status of particular remote districts can be quoted: France
Ministry of Defense with origami-like roof, the project of Nicolas
Michelin by ANMA on the south. Le Palais de
Justice de Paris by Renzo Piano on the
north-east of Paris. Le Project Triangle on the south by Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. Duo by Jean Nouvel on the east. Arena Stadium 92
on the west by Christian de Portzamparc.
La Cite Du Cinema, it is a film
studio complex supported by the film director and producer Luc Besson, designed in 2000 and located in Saint-Denis, on the north of
Paris. It was open on 21 September 2012. Stade Jean Bouin by Rudy Ricciotti. Philharmonie de Paris by Ateliers Jean Nouvel. Louis Vuitton
Foundation for Creation designed by Frank Gehry and the Louis Vuitton Foundation.
Duo | © Ateliers Jean Nouvel
Accommodation
An
accommodation in Grand Paris is expensive and in modern Paris aren't
enough apartment houses and living spaces. The rent is expensive as well.
Having judged demography and migration it was decided to increase
the amount of new flats from 35 000 per year to 70 000. At the same
time the metropolis has to remain inside it's natural boarders,
forests and agricultural zones. Paris has to cease it's extension.
It
could be achieved by means of modern technologies, new technologies
of building and the development of obvious and at the same time unordinary areas, for
example, the building on the immersible areas. It is planned to
renovate industrial zones, to reequip the first floors of buildings
and storehouses, to reconstruct separate buildings. Often it supposes
the full renovation and also the construction of additional storeys.
The changes of the transport system could provide the opportunity to
build commercially and economically attractive buildings and centers
nearby city roads and to free potential areas for living by means of
this.
Ecology
The
team declares ecological attitudes to human health and the natural
environment. The Atelier International Grand Paris highlights the
necessity to preserve the natural diversity of the region and it's
natural resources, rivers, especially Seine, for the forthcoming
sustainable development of Paris. The banks of Seine, it is nearby
200 kilometres from Paris to the English Channel and the possible
direction of building, have to be secured from development. Grand
Paris has to remain compact and be rebuilt inside itself. The green
areas and the open spaces inside existing Paris must be saved. These
green lungs of Paris will evolve and expand through the technologies
of sustainable building. The buildings can become the continuations
of parks and parks can be built on these
buildings. Grand Paris can be the medium of the rethought and renewed
conception of ecologically friendly, responsible and climate
supporting hanging gardens with people living there.
The
new buildings will use efficient systems of natural heating,
ventilating and air conditioning, the systems of the rainwater
collection and it's purification, generate renewable energy,
especially solar and wind energy. The smart homes building will be
enhanced. The attitudes to the changes of the conditions of
insolation and views of residential areas nearby developing zones
will be conscious. The city will create missing organs of it's
organism and connected with them systems inside metropolis like
inside an imaginary body, it will purify itself and produce energy
like more or less perfect self-sufficient and definitely efficient
system.
Education
About
40% scientific researches in France have been accomplishing in Paris,
there are located also a lot of internationally acclaimed
universities and schools. These institutions must be supported. Their
development, underlining their meaning and importance, the investment
in education will directly influence on international status of the
city and strengthen it. The multitude of international projects in
the field of architecture, their scales, the strength of their
architectural idea and the potential of insights will emphasize this international
status of the city. These modern breakthrough are the long-term
results of the developed systems of education.
The way of governing
The
current fragmentary character of the regions inside the Grand Paris
is supported by the way of their management. Ile-de-France unites
1282 communes and the decisions about new building can't be accepted
without agreement of their direction. The authorities in the field
of city planning could be delegated to the new integrated
institutions. Possible agglomerations are already defined and the
discussion of the adoption of the corresponding law is on the agenda
in the French Parliament for the middle of this summer.
The
long-term constructive goal and the dream imagined by the members and
the guests of the Atelier International Grand Paris is the compact
sustainable city, very coherent, quite independent balanced and
comfortable for living there. Utopia.
Bertrand Lemoine, the French architect, Director General of the Atelier International Grand Paris, can produce rain by his beautiful streamy speech. And rain in many cultures can be interpreted like the greatest blessing. The last third of his performance in the St. Peter and Paul Fortress was accompanied by the sounds of sudden dense rain falling outside the red and white thick walls of the ancient fortress in the heart of Saint Petersburg. And it was raining when everything was said. On that day rain changed the palette of the city. May be this architect and enlightener will be able to organize and control the creation of utopia. After all it seems the blessing was granted.
original
copyright ©
Olga Gubanova 2013
© Ольга Губанова 2013
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