by Tim Nickerson Tschumi's vision for La Villette was to create an urban park for the 21st Century, based upon three organizing elements: surfaces, lines, and points. The surfaces host various events throughout the park. Activities such as games, exercising, entertainment, and markets are included. The other surfaces are made of compacted earth and gravel and are more free and varied in their form. The lines consist
of axes, walks, and waterways. The use of a strong southeast
to northwest axis along the west side of the park, nearly parallel
to the St. Denis Canal, provides for an uninterrupted north-south
walk and connects the two Metro stations that service La Villette.
This axis also boasts a long elevated walkway with an undulating
canopy running its entire length. Gardens with themes such as
mirrors, dunes, play, shadows, bamboo, mists, trellised vines,
movements, balance, slands, children's fears and dragons are
tucked along the main circulation system in La Villette. [Nevermind
the auspicous inclusion of Oldenberg's NY work.] Also along this
main path system sit large expanses of turf, which are heavily
used for soccer games on the weekends. The Ourcq Canal provides
another axis to connect La Villette to downtown Paris. The Follies located in La Villette are functional with viewing platforms. They also house small offices, sale stands, and the like. However, some herald La Villette as the prime example of what a 21 st Century urban park should be. They acclaim the audacity of the design. The unparalleled urbanity is something to be revered, its enthusiasts boast. Hinshaw, M. (2002). La villette after twenty years: Critics pronounced it the hottest thing in park design - today, parisians are voting "non" with their feet. Landscape architecture, 92(8), 124.
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Although this urban renovation project has been called largely unsuccessful, I am enormously grateful for the designer's contribution to my sentiments about the built environment as represented through this set of loosely post-modern architectural 'follies.' One could not help but compare the experience to that witnessed by visitors to Antonio Gaudi's fascinating park in Barcelona, a hundred years prior. My concern here is not with 'what is,' but with the larger design intent at play and the succession of ideas behind the construction of these curious little boxes. Good, or bad, it speaks it speaks volumes about our interest in investing in public-spaces. Were we to do so today, I suppose the majority of the budget would need go towards housing the homeless. To me there is no question that our aesthetic poverty has directly contributed to our country's polarized culture. These days, everyone is clearly saying: "piss on the poor," and this is a fine example of how the stench of consummerism, and the Disneyfication of the art can come back to haunt us! Our lack of investment in the culture itself is a sickness that history won't easily forget. |
The boldness of La Villette has attracted its critics, particularly by "the Project for Public Spaces." ( A Parisian phenomena.)
La Villette has been characterized as possibly being too large to be a successful park with the exception of the times when there are large events. The proportions some of the spaces have been said to make one feel insignificant, while others make ones feel too constrained. The sense of enclosure of many of the spaces has been criticized as creating unsafe spaces. The lack of maintenance to the follies only exacerbates the debate.
Regardless of one's opinion La Villette is an urban park worthy of study. Whether one takes from it lessons to be repeated or not repeated, it is an individual's judgment call. The interlacing of the follies with the circulation pattern and the creation of various small rooms combined with the expanse of open space certainly creates a memorable park.
Why not have free-places where you the attraction is something that people understand? In the construct above, you can bring your own DVD, and play V-J, so the point is publicly exploiting the truth behind what Media control and hype is all about.... I would especially enjoy an outdoor facility where one could watch Michael Douglas pull out his gym-bag to demand breakfast at Macdonald's in "Falling Down." This, debatably the ultimate statement about what our fast-food society has come to be. ...Or how about a digital re-run of "Jaws" while your innocent little urchins are swimming? |
Most are completely unaware that the US Government has the technology, and had the man-power to build storm-proof aluminum shelters for ALL of the Katrina refugees, via helicopter, in less than two weeks... Ours is a government with completely misguided priorties. We've lost the game as we allow corportate values to overshadow human values. Reinvestment begins with reassessment. Soon, if we allow the labor market collapse, we are going to have to adapt to an entirely different form of materials and values-exchange. 'Ownership' does not necessarily construe a state of privledge. Diamonds are NOT forever, and when you finally do get hungry you are NOT going to be so appreciative of those who have amassed mountains of King Tut's personal wealth in Gold!
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