Haussmann, prefect for the department of the Seine from 1853 until 1870, extensively transformed Paris, above and below ground, from the city center to the outskirts. By extension, his name personifies a century of public works that still defines the urban organisation of the city and the identity of the capital. But who would think of the Second Empire mapping as an exemplary network for mobility ? Or the 19th century city block as an effective tool for a sustainable city ? Or the Haussmann-style building as an archetype of flexibility ? The Paris Haussmann show analyses and reveals the potential of today’s Parisian urban model in relation to the stakes and challenges of tomorrow’s cities.

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Over 100 drawings, plans, archives, photographs by Cyrille Weiner, as well as many mock-ups, give visitors an opportunity to rediscover this heritage at various scales. The exhibition redesigns, categorizes and compares the urban axes, distinguishes the public spaces, organizes the city blocks and buildings according to their current geometry. By analyzing shape in order to understand meaning, this exhibit and the accompanying book – devised as a contemporary retro-atlas of Haussmannian territory – gives a new interpretation of the city, in its volumes, its time-frames and its usages.

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From the information acquired through drawing and development in conjunction with technologies and calculations made by the architects Umberto Napolitano, Benoit Jallon and the architectural engineer Franck Boutté, a new urban arborescence emerges, based on contemporary criteria. What is the “walkability” of the Haussmannian urban fabric, compared to other international metropolises? Why is the incredible density of the Haussmannian model so comfortable ? What is the energy efficiency of the city blocks and buildings in relation to current standards? Contiguity, changeability, density, materiality, compactness, full space / empty space equilibrium, diversity of activities and capacities, as revealed in the Paris Haussmann exhibition, invite visitors to reexamine the criteria of contemporary urban design within a system in which performance requirements converse with the enjoyment of living in a place, where resilience would be architecture.

 

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Conceived as a multi-faceted show, Paris Haussmann offers a full program of activities and events related to the exhibition and destined for all types of audiences: conference-debates, guides tours, urban walking tours, nighttime tours, events.

Paris Haussmann
Modèle de Ville

January 31 - June 4 2017
Exhibition created for Pavillon de l’Arsenal
with the support of Schneider Electric

curated by
LAN - Benoit Jallon and Umberto Napolitano
FBC - Franck Boutté

catalogue by
UNDO-REDO