Some images to help you understand the dense character of Bayonne's Secteur Sauvegard and the beautiful, light-filled character where portions of the building have been demolished to open the area around the beautiful historic stairwells.
Aerial view of the center of the "Secteur Sauvegard". Image courtesy of Ville de Bayonne, Direction de l'Urbanisme.
Bayonne Secteur Sauvegard, typical floor plan of a typical city block, consisting of many long narrow buildings fronting on the surrounding streets with many rooms that receive no direct or indirect sunlight or natural ventilation, contrary to contemporary building codes. White colored rooms have direct sunlight (windows). Green colored spaces are within the stairwells. Gray colored rooms have windows that open into the stairwells (either open air or covered with skylight). Pink colored rooms have no natural light (no windows). Image courtesy of Ville de Bayonne, Direction de l'Urbanisme.
A typical street front in Bayonne. This particular group of buildings faces onto the town market, one of the few open spaces within the historic center.
An example of an interior stair that has been opened up. The glass wall now opens into an exterior courtyard and a small bridge at an upper level provides access/egress for two dwellings on the other side of the courtyard. Rooms were demolished to create the open air courtyard. Click on "Read More" to see more staircases.
Aerial view of the center of the "Secteur Sauvegard". Image courtesy of Ville de Bayonne, Direction de l'Urbanisme.
Bayonne Secteur Sauvegard, typical floor plan of a typical city block, consisting of many long narrow buildings fronting on the surrounding streets with many rooms that receive no direct or indirect sunlight or natural ventilation, contrary to contemporary building codes. White colored rooms have direct sunlight (windows). Green colored spaces are within the stairwells. Gray colored rooms have windows that open into the stairwells (either open air or covered with skylight). Pink colored rooms have no natural light (no windows). Image courtesy of Ville de Bayonne, Direction de l'Urbanisme.
A typical street front in Bayonne. This particular group of buildings faces onto the town market, one of the few open spaces within the historic center.
An example of an interior stair that has been opened up. The glass wall now opens into an exterior courtyard and a small bridge at an upper level provides access/egress for two dwellings on the other side of the courtyard. Rooms were demolished to create the open air courtyard. Click on "Read More" to see more staircases.
Ville de Bayonnes Boutique du Patrimoine et de lHabitat.
Bayonne's historic center is special not for singularly extraordinary buildings, but for the consistency of its assembly as a whole. In Bayonne, the "secteur sauvegarde" (historic district) consists of all the buildings located within the former medieval walls, and includes some interiors, notably the shared stairways at the center of each building. By national French law, any work done in a "secteur sauvegarde" is subject to review by the city, as well as the local Architecte des Batiments de France (ABF), who represents the national Ministry of Culture and Communication. Imagine - approximately 1,000 buildings, averaging 4 stories high, with a retail occupant on the ground floor and multiple apartments on each floor. That's a lot of small construction projects to be reviewed by the city and a lot of citizens needing guidance through the process.
The city's answer: open a storefront dedicated to the keeping communication open between city building officials, building owners, craftsmen/construction companies and visitors alike about the special architectural heritage of Bayonne. Bayonne's Boutique is located in the heart of the "Secteur Sauvegarde" and is open every weekday afternoon between 1 and 5 pm.
The Boutique includes an exhibit on the significant architectural features and materials of the historic center of Bayonne, as well as real, hands-on examples of historic materials and acceptable contemporary interventions: fragments from 17th, 18th and 19th century staircases; 18th and 19th century windows and some contemporary explorations into double-glazed replacements; a special hidden gutter detail in terra cotta tile roofing that protects facades and meets modern codes that prohibit roof run-on from draining directly off roofs onto the street; acceptable paint colors based on scientific analysis of historic paint colors; and samples of historic exterior stuccos ("enduits") and paints, as well as traditional repair materials.
It is also here that citizens can learn about “subventions” or financial incentives provided by the city. The city is unusual in that it offers financial incentives structured to encourage replacement, not repair, and the use of eco-responsible materials. For example, a 10% "credit" is offered for replacement windows made with exotic woods, while a roughly 35% "credit" is offered for replacement windows made with local European woods. The city authorizes the design before construction, moniters all construction work, and verifies the final product before providing the credit to the applicant.
The storefront for the Boutique du Patrimoine. The glass front gives a glimpse of the permanent exhibition on the evolution of the city's architecture.
Bayonne's historic center is special not for singularly extraordinary buildings, but for the consistency of its assembly as a whole. In Bayonne, the "secteur sauvegarde" (historic district) consists of all the buildings located within the former medieval walls, and includes some interiors, notably the shared stairways at the center of each building. By national French law, any work done in a "secteur sauvegarde" is subject to review by the city, as well as the local Architecte des Batiments de France (ABF), who represents the national Ministry of Culture and Communication. Imagine - approximately 1,000 buildings, averaging 4 stories high, with a retail occupant on the ground floor and multiple apartments on each floor. That's a lot of small construction projects to be reviewed by the city and a lot of citizens needing guidance through the process.
The city's answer: open a storefront dedicated to the keeping communication open between city building officials, building owners, craftsmen/construction companies and visitors alike about the special architectural heritage of Bayonne. Bayonne's Boutique is located in the heart of the "Secteur Sauvegarde" and is open every weekday afternoon between 1 and 5 pm.
The Boutique includes an exhibit on the significant architectural features and materials of the historic center of Bayonne, as well as real, hands-on examples of historic materials and acceptable contemporary interventions: fragments from 17th, 18th and 19th century staircases; 18th and 19th century windows and some contemporary explorations into double-glazed replacements; a special hidden gutter detail in terra cotta tile roofing that protects facades and meets modern codes that prohibit roof run-on from draining directly off roofs onto the street; acceptable paint colors based on scientific analysis of historic paint colors; and samples of historic exterior stuccos ("enduits") and paints, as well as traditional repair materials.
It is also here that citizens can learn about “subventions” or financial incentives provided by the city. The city is unusual in that it offers financial incentives structured to encourage replacement, not repair, and the use of eco-responsible materials. For example, a 10% "credit" is offered for replacement windows made with exotic woods, while a roughly 35% "credit" is offered for replacement windows made with local European woods. The city authorizes the design before construction, moniters all construction work, and verifies the final product before providing the credit to the applicant.
The storefront for the Boutique du Patrimoine. The glass front gives a glimpse of the permanent exhibition on the evolution of the city's architecture.
After a week back home in the United States, week 9 of the fellowship finds me in the southwest corner of France, not far from the Spanish border, the Pyrennes mountains, and with a view of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in this corner of the country that some of the leading research and experimentation with sustainable preservation are taking place.
Bayonne's historic center has retained its urban medieval density and built upward several stories, resulting in narrow streets with little daylight and narrow, deep plots with many rooms that have no windows.
Bayonne's historic center has retained its urban medieval density and built upward several stories, resulting in narrow streets with little daylight and narrow, deep plots with many rooms that have no windows.
