28/09: Avignon photos
28/09: more photos
Mason's marks found at the Pont Saint-Benezet (bridge) in Avignon (AEC Lyon Report). A mason would mark his stone to indicate the extent of his work for when the time came to be paid.
I woke up to blue skies and warm fresh air on Saturday, perfect market weather! Every Saturday morning, starting at 7 AM, a lovely food and flower market populates the Soane River, starting about 2 blocks away from my flat. Fresh oysters, chanterelle mushrooms, "coeur de boeuf" tomatoes, "prunes" (plums) and pears are all laid out in shallow round pans on tables. Meats, cheeses, rotisserie chicken, breads and pastries are all sold from towable carts; the sides fold open upwards to create a covered "porch" all the way around the stall. Very open, practical, and filled with beautiful and tasty products. The peach I bought had deep magenta flesh rich with flavor. The rippled tomato, "fines herbes" and avocados were so rich with flavor, no dressing was needed. Thickly sliced prosciutto, saucisson, and cured hams on country bread with Isigny butter - fanstatic. Beef empanadas in the Chilean style are not traditional Lyonnaise cuisine, but were highly popular and flavorful.
After soaking in the morning, dining on fresh market finds, I was fueled to explore Vieux Lyon and Fourviere. The longevity of this place astounds. The roots of Lyon go back to a Roman town, Lugdunum, cresting the hillside just west of the Soane river. At the base of the hill on the banks of the Soane is the medieval town. Between the Soane and the Rhone Rivers on Presqu'ile, where I am living, the urban fabric was shaped in "l'epoque moderne" -- here that is the 17th to the 18th centuries -- and the wealth of the silk industry. Development has continued to the east. While the city has layers, it is unusual in how the centuries remain visible as one moves downhill from west to east; most cities build on top of earlier construction.
I am learning why previous Hunt Fellows from France may have been so interested in considering what the appropriate design approach should be for modern interventions in historic settings. There are literally centuries of precedent to consider. Does one rebuild to mimic, like the 18th century approach at the Roman Arc in Orange? Does one find a balance between background, contrast and spotlight, like at the Gallo-Roman ampitheater on the Fourviere hill where there is a modern (1960's) museum built into the hillside, with two approximately 10' x 10' modern concrete portals looking out over the ampitheater. Or does one "mimic" the old but in a "stripped down" way that mimics the form but not the ornament, such as a 2005 addition in Avignon. I do not know the stories, but each is successful in its context. Perhaps in each location a specific approach, specific to its place and time, is appropriate.
After soaking in the morning, dining on fresh market finds, I was fueled to explore Vieux Lyon and Fourviere. The longevity of this place astounds. The roots of Lyon go back to a Roman town, Lugdunum, cresting the hillside just west of the Soane river. At the base of the hill on the banks of the Soane is the medieval town. Between the Soane and the Rhone Rivers on Presqu'ile, where I am living, the urban fabric was shaped in "l'epoque moderne" -- here that is the 17th to the 18th centuries -- and the wealth of the silk industry. Development has continued to the east. While the city has layers, it is unusual in how the centuries remain visible as one moves downhill from west to east; most cities build on top of earlier construction.
I am learning why previous Hunt Fellows from France may have been so interested in considering what the appropriate design approach should be for modern interventions in historic settings. There are literally centuries of precedent to consider. Does one rebuild to mimic, like the 18th century approach at the Roman Arc in Orange? Does one find a balance between background, contrast and spotlight, like at the Gallo-Roman ampitheater on the Fourviere hill where there is a modern (1960's) museum built into the hillside, with two approximately 10' x 10' modern concrete portals looking out over the ampitheater. Or does one "mimic" the old but in a "stripped down" way that mimics the form but not the ornament, such as a 2005 addition in Avignon. I do not know the stories, but each is successful in its context. Perhaps in each location a specific approach, specific to its place and time, is appropriate.
25/09: Week 1 photos
These are some images of Lyon. Please look back at earlier posts for illustrations (still a work in progress). In all instances, click on "Read More" for more pix and text. Enjoy!
24/09: Week 1-Day 4. AEC Lyon
Today was a quiet day for me in the office of AEC Lyon, giving me a chance to reflect on the previous three days and to get to know more folks in the office. I am learning the fundamentals of historic preservation policy in France.
USA has National Historic Landmarks, the National Register of Historic Places, and local landmarks - listed in the order of significance, with the most significant properties first. France has properties that are "Classees" (a.k.a. classified. These are the "Monuments Historiques" and the most significant); others are "inscrit a l'aventer" which provides less strict levels of protection. Both of these lists are the responsibility of the Ministrie de la Culture.
Preservation laws in the two countries - USA and France - provide for a different range of impact. In France, any construction within a 500-meter-radius of a classified monument must be reviewed for impact to the historic resource. In the USA, only the listed building or easement is reviewed; occasionally this includes a viewshed, but this seems to be nothing compared with the more wholist French approach.
USA has National Historic Landmarks, the National Register of Historic Places, and local landmarks - listed in the order of significance, with the most significant properties first. France has properties that are "Classees" (a.k.a. classified. These are the "Monuments Historiques" and the most significant); others are "inscrit a l'aventer" which provides less strict levels of protection. Both of these lists are the responsibility of the Ministrie de la Culture.
Preservation laws in the two countries - USA and France - provide for a different range of impact. In France, any construction within a 500-meter-radius of a classified monument must be reviewed for impact to the historic resource. In the USA, only the listed building or easement is reviewed; occasionally this includes a viewshed, but this seems to be nothing compared with the more wholist French approach.
mercredi, le 23 septembre
Today we looked at four sites:
- La Porte d'Orange in Carpentras.
- Palais du Pape in Avignon.
- Musee Calvet in Avignon.
- Roman Arc de Triomphe in Orange.
Today we looked at four sites:
- La Porte d'Orange in Carpentras.
- Palais du Pape in Avignon.
- Musee Calvet in Avignon.
- Roman Arc de Triomphe in Orange.
Mardi, le 22 Septembre 2009
You've got to love a country where a 4 hour drive is a 2 hour train ride -- and the trains are always on time (the exception may be when they are "en greve" or on strike)!
Today we took the TGV train to Paris for a construction site visit at the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild in the 8th arrondissment.
Back in Lyon, we headed straight for the restoration project at the Palais de Justice Historique (Historic Courthouse) - for the Department Rhone.
You've got to love a country where a 4 hour drive is a 2 hour train ride -- and the trains are always on time (the exception may be when they are "en greve" or on strike)!
Today we took the TGV train to Paris for a construction site visit at the Hotel Salomon de Rothschild in the 8th arrondissment.
Back in Lyon, we headed straight for the restoration project at the Palais de Justice Historique (Historic Courthouse) - for the Department Rhone.
Lundi, le 21 September 2009.
Today was my first full day "on the job" of the fellowship. Didier Repellin, architect en chef des Monuments Historiques (ACMH) in private practice, is my host for the next month. We first met last night, for a light dinner, and to review our schedule during that time. It was a good thing, as the pace is rapid, as Didier is responsible for many projects and architects at once. Three projects, then to the office for two more meetings. What an amazing welcome by all!
At 7:45 AM, we rendez-voused in front of Didier's house, a few blocks from my flat, and drove to Thizy, a small town about an hour away in the Massif Central, for a bid opening. RMHF 2003, Kyle Brooks, now an architect/photographer for the US General Services Administration, was in town for a few more hours and joined us.
First lesson, restoration is done in France WITHOUT General Contractors. The architect works directly with the trades -- masons, roofers, window conservators, etc. In this case, the selection of the subcontractor will occur in two stages. First stage pre-qualified firms. The second stage will assess price and the proposed technical approach for the project, and these were the packages being opened today. The Thizy project included some roofing repairs, some stone repairs, and repairs at two stained glass rose windows at an 1870s church with beautiful stenciled interiors and richly colored painted glass windows. The bids included 3 or 4 roofers, a few masons and a few glass firms. The architect will analyze the bids and make recommendations to the town mayor about 2 weeks. That part is not too dissimilar from the way it is often done at home in the States.
After this excursion into the foggy, rolling hills, we returned to Lyon. Didier and I said "au revoir" to Kyle who headed to the airport & USA, then ascended the scaffolding of the Cathedral St-Jean to listen to an archaeologist explain to the project team -- stone masons, scaffolding contractor, architects -- the above-ground and below-ground archaeology of the Cathedral: what the evidence in the archives and stone work tells us about the changing design of the Cathedral between the 11th and 15th or 16th centuries. Amazing! And the masons have been working on the exterior restoration of the Cathedral for 20 years!! This phase was the last of the exterior restoration (masonry cleaning, repointing to replace a cement mortar with a lime one, selective stone replacement). Architecte du Patrimoine, Assistant: M. Patrice Regnaud.
After lunch, I listened as Didier, and three others from his office, met with a new client - two adjoining museums at the only hotel particuliers in Lyon -- Le Musee des Tissus (Textiles) et Le Musee des Arts Decoratifs (Decorative Arts). Didier's office is preparing a new master plan for the museums. I need to go back on the weekend to look at the museum rooms themselves, as we looked primarily at attics to be retrofitted for collections storage/conservation and fascinating stables and dependencies, including one that allegedly housed the mistress of Rodin, Collette.
Tomorrow, I will accompany Didier and two other architects from his office at business in Paris -- then more time learning about all the various architects in Didier's office, Archi Euro Conseil http://www.aeclyon.com/
Today was my first full day "on the job" of the fellowship. Didier Repellin, architect en chef des Monuments Historiques (ACMH) in private practice, is my host for the next month. We first met last night, for a light dinner, and to review our schedule during that time. It was a good thing, as the pace is rapid, as Didier is responsible for many projects and architects at once. Three projects, then to the office for two more meetings. What an amazing welcome by all!
At 7:45 AM, we rendez-voused in front of Didier's house, a few blocks from my flat, and drove to Thizy, a small town about an hour away in the Massif Central, for a bid opening. RMHF 2003, Kyle Brooks, now an architect/photographer for the US General Services Administration, was in town for a few more hours and joined us.
First lesson, restoration is done in France WITHOUT General Contractors. The architect works directly with the trades -- masons, roofers, window conservators, etc. In this case, the selection of the subcontractor will occur in two stages. First stage pre-qualified firms. The second stage will assess price and the proposed technical approach for the project, and these were the packages being opened today. The Thizy project included some roofing repairs, some stone repairs, and repairs at two stained glass rose windows at an 1870s church with beautiful stenciled interiors and richly colored painted glass windows. The bids included 3 or 4 roofers, a few masons and a few glass firms. The architect will analyze the bids and make recommendations to the town mayor about 2 weeks. That part is not too dissimilar from the way it is often done at home in the States.
After this excursion into the foggy, rolling hills, we returned to Lyon. Didier and I said "au revoir" to Kyle who headed to the airport & USA, then ascended the scaffolding of the Cathedral St-Jean to listen to an archaeologist explain to the project team -- stone masons, scaffolding contractor, architects -- the above-ground and below-ground archaeology of the Cathedral: what the evidence in the archives and stone work tells us about the changing design of the Cathedral between the 11th and 15th or 16th centuries. Amazing! And the masons have been working on the exterior restoration of the Cathedral for 20 years!! This phase was the last of the exterior restoration (masonry cleaning, repointing to replace a cement mortar with a lime one, selective stone replacement). Architecte du Patrimoine, Assistant: M. Patrice Regnaud.
After lunch, I listened as Didier, and three others from his office, met with a new client - two adjoining museums at the only hotel particuliers in Lyon -- Le Musee des Tissus (Textiles) et Le Musee des Arts Decoratifs (Decorative Arts). Didier's office is preparing a new master plan for the museums. I need to go back on the weekend to look at the museum rooms themselves, as we looked primarily at attics to be retrofitted for collections storage/conservation and fascinating stables and dependencies, including one that allegedly housed the mistress of Rodin, Collette.
Tomorrow, I will accompany Didier and two other architects from his office at business in Paris -- then more time learning about all the various architects in Didier's office, Archi Euro Conseil http://www.aeclyon.com/
