2024-08-13
3 分钟David Stevens visits a historic part of Paris that has been a celebrated example of a mixed-use space for centuries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mixed use development is an important concept for any city planner to keep in mind when designing new pieces of the urban realm.
In Paris, a city where space is at a premium, getting more out of a building is important.
But if you know where to look, there are good examples of mixed use everywhere, even some that have existed since the Middle Ages.
You are listening to Tolstories, a monocle production brought to you by the team behind the Urbanist.
I'm Carlotta Ribello.
In this episode, David Stephens visits a historic corner of Paris that has been changing shape for centuries.
Le Coreaux du temple in Paris, 3rd arrondissement, is the definition of mixed use.
The different personalities which inhabit the space today are almost as numerous as the historic transformations it has undergone.
Between the 12th and 19th centuries.
It housed a Knights Templar fortress, a textile market that imprisoned the royal family during the French Revolution, and was a site for numerous cultural gatherings.
It wasn't until 1863 when the current buildings took form here, after the market halls in Rotunda were demolished to make space for a collection of six cast iron, glass and brick pavilions.
In 1904, following hosting the first Paris fair, four of the six pavilions were dismantled, leaving the two which remain today.
The market hall, which called these pavilions home, saw great success through the 1900s, with thousands of merchants operating during the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
But as occupants diminished from the 70s onward, the space came up against existential challenges, with the district mayor calling for a car park to replace the structure.
In 1976, citizen mobilization thankfully saved it from a disappointing end.
In the early 80s, the building was granted historic status, stymieing any further plans for destruction.
But as trade continued to decline, a new plan for its future was desperately needed.
In 2001, the newly elected mayor proposed a complete restoration and the project was approved by the Paris Council.
Years of consultation and competitions followed, with Studio Milieu coming out on top as the firm that would see the historic building into its new era.
The Paris Council also emphasised during the planning process the importance of the programming of the space to ensure it remained a social, economic and cultural hub for the neighbourhood.