Quote:
Originally Posted by kool maudit
it is starting to seem like you have a thing about paris.
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Well dont you find it interesting that in some threads people lament that Paris is seen as a "Museum City" or is not seen as it truly is somehow. And then the very title of this thread suggests something quite different. "La Defense...a place without vibe?" Would anyone be asking that if nobody had ever brought it up? This thread is surely not a response to some comment I, just little ol me, perhaps made. Surely others have said something about the place not having any vibe.
I actually love much of Paris. Its one reason I cringe when I see parts that at first glance appear to be antithetical to many of the very reasons I do love Paris. There are a couple of things that this La Defense area seems to be doing that worry me. Unlike many cities that are growing more "organically" "and of course I know I am overly simplifying, take London for instance, you see a mix of new and old all over different parts of the city. This helps maintain the walkability and liveability of the the many areas. I also comment negatively, as do others, when we see "grand schemes" or new mini cities laid out in such a way that will not in the long run work as comfortable, walkable, living entities.
Plus we here in the midwestern US went through a phase where we built areas like La Defense, large pedestrian malls, modern architecture, often car centric however,... They bustled at first because they were shiny and novel. But then the novelty wore off. (I can show you pics of the shiny new main pedestrian mall, buildings, indoor mall, etc. that was bustling with life. But it was all basically a fad, it wasnt really a true space, and the area died) Now we are fighting to try and create comfortable, walkable, liveable districts. Like much of the "museum city areas" of Paris.
Now I know that there are differences between La Defense and some of those "new cities" and even the modern city areas that were built here in the US. But one of the lessons we learned, for instance, is that you want the street level of your buildings to be permeable and pedestrian friendly. You dont want large blank spaces, boring walls, and stretches of street or sidewalk space with little interest or shops, restaurants,etc.
It just appears from a lot of peoples perspective, not just me, that this area, while bustling during some parts of the day like you would even find here, also is busy all day and evening. I would hope that this lasts and its not just a fad. "Oooh look at all these new, pretty, shiny things!" Soon that gets old, the buildings lose their novelty and fade into the background, then what your left with is the reality. Does this space really work. Only time will tell.
I dont think EVERYTHING is wrong with La Defense, but I do see areas of potential problems. Yet the usual reaction is "Oh isnt that neat". I really only want to put out some words of caution. I go to an extreme in order to be heard and get attention. It would be a shame to not be more careful, a little bit wiser, with something so large as La Defense.
And again, there seems to be a presumption by some inhabitants or promoters of Paris, a bias against "Museum City" and for "La Defense". Or at least an expectation that others should see things as they want them to. I just want to point out that not everyone sees "Museum City" as bad, nor "La Defense" as some joyous wonder. There are good, tried and true, lessons that the old city can teach every city in the world. We did the La Defense type thing here, it was a blast at first, but didnt work long term. Hopefully they have it magically tweaked just right somehow. I hope so.
Perhaps I even have it all wrong. Perhaps in the context of Paris, La Defense is a welcome respit, an open space, a place to breathe thats different from the rest of the city. Its not the whoole city like what they did here. Thus it is very different in that respect. But still, dont expect someone from my neck of the woods to look at it and not automatically cringe and think "OMG what are they doing?" "They LIKE that?!".
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