◀︎  Exhibitions

Paris Haussmann

A model's relevance

Opening till sunday 4 of june 2017 Exhibition designed by the Pavillon de l’Arsenal
With support from Schneider Electric

Exhibition curators invited :
LAN - Benoit Jallon and Umberto Napolitano
FBC - Franck Boutté

Haussmann, prefect for the departement 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 organization 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 analyzes and reveals the potential of today’s Parisian urban model in relation to the stakes and challenges of tomorrow’s cities.

Intended as a demonstration, the exhibition starts with a line drawn to review history. 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. 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.

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION

Conceived as a multi-faceted show, Paris Haussmann offers a full program of activities and events related to the exhibit and destined for all types of audiences : conference-debates, guides tours, urban walking tours, nighttime tours, events in partnership with the Musée Carnavalet, a unique performance workshop In the Baron’s Office (Dans le Bureau du Baron), which gives our youngest visitors a fun way of learning about Haussmann’s legacy, as well as, in partnership with Scheider Electric, sponsor of the Paris Haussmann show, and Enodo Games, publisher of the video game The Architect-Paris, the first Parisian hackathon, open to students from French architecture schools (Ecoles Nationales Supérieures en Architecture) – Haussmann 2.0, 48 Hours to Revolutionize Paris ! (Haussmann 2.0, 48 heures pour révolutionner Paris !)


INFORMATION

Exhibition designed by the Pavillon de l’Arsenal, presented from 31 January to 4 june 2017
With support from Schneider Electric

Exhibition curators invited :
LAN - Benoit Jallon and Umberto Napolitano
FBC - Franck Boutté

Graphic design : Undo Redo

Exhibition's lighting made with support from Erco


Sponsor of Paris Haussmann

Partner(s)