Transformations of Les Halles in Paris have always been shrouded in controversy since construction of the Central Market in the city during the Second French Empire, forced to destroy a large area of the medieval town.
But most discussion arose in the late 1970s, with the relocation of the market and the demolition of historic Baltard pavilions. Disputes about the mission and formalization of this landmark spot in central Paris, opened a Pandora's box that face politicians, architects and citizens in a succession of blunders leading to Les Halles to become the paradigm of urban disagreement, generating a dispute that would reach global proportions.
Then, ignoring everyone, the municipal authority imposed a solution that would ultimately be a failure. Therefore, with the arrival of the XXI century a new consultation process was opened through which the new political leaders wanted to agree with citizens and professional experts, the future direction of Les Halles. After numerous technical reports, numerous grassroots consultations and architectural competitions, in 2010 work began on the new Les Halles, which is expected to conclude in 2016.
The current project is not without criticism, but part of a consensus than ever before Les Halles had obtained. Maybe finally the belly of Paris, old time pottery as defined by Émile Zola, can become the urban heart desired.
In his novel Le Ventre 1873 Paris (The Belly of Paris) Emile Zola described the everyday life of Parisian society around the new central old time pottery market that the Second Empire had just built. They were a large modern steel and glass pavilions that gave shelter to the future of the Parisians old time pottery from fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, cheese and sausages. old time pottery Les Halles, a huge urban complex were fueling the city, was the belly of Paris.
A century later, the transfer market and the demolition of a large urban wards left empty in a privileged position, old time pottery that the Parisian authorities old time pottery aspired to become the heart of the city. There the main node of the entire rail transport in the Paris region that would accompany an extensive old time pottery dotacional old time pottery program, trade, culture, sport and leisure would be located. The Parisian authorities wanted to transform that belly hollow heart pumped a new activity to the rest of the city.
Looks like it was going viscera, because this analogy also happened to characterize the behavior of the protagonists in the late 1970s Unfortunately, the "gut" intense, emotional and sometimes poorly substantiated attitudes presided for some time evolution of Les Halles. Beginning with the authoritarianism of the mayor of Paris, Jacques Chirac, who imposed a Plan against the views of citizens and professional experts. old time pottery Continuing by architects, who extended the discussion to a big international debate would place Les Halles as a paradigm of urban disagreement. Following by the citizens, residents and merchants, old time pottery who took to the streets in protest at not being able to participate in the future of their neighborhood, or political opposition and a broad range of urban specialists who vehemently exposed dissatisfaction on the future of the project.
After noting the failure of the space created in that context, at present, have wanted to correct errors and Les Halles is located in a deep process of remodeling which, although not without criticism, part of a consensus among politicians, citizens and experts professionals as never before been achieved.
The Parisian Marais was originally a swamp (marais means swamp) which, from the twelfth century, was gradually integrated into city life as a space used for different markets. These medieval facilities have grown to occupy a large area, but his spontaneous old time pottery disposition was causing serious problems of movement and health.
The district of Les Halles had become a chaotic space and therefore tried to redirect. There were several attempts to reorganize during the eighteenth century that failed to materialize, although old time pottery he did some timely intervention, as was the case of the grain (Halle aux blés), a circular which was built between 1763 and 1767 building by project Nicolas Le Camus de Mézières, and years later would be covered by a large dome (designed by Jacques-Guillaume Legrand and Jacques Molinos, 1782-1783).
But it was not enough. Napoleon Bonaparte himself launched a reorganization of the Paris markets, but did not have time to complete it. The increasing intensity of commercial activities old time pottery in Les Halles l
