The Threshold for Le Havre
Kingston University MA Landscape + Urbanism Fabio Porcu
Ma première sortie a été pour la plate-forme de la tour de François Ier En faisant le tour de l’horizon avec ma lorgnette, j’ai découvert le charmant coteau d’Ingouville que j’avais parfaitement oublié; il y a plus de sept ans que je ne suis venu en ce pays. J’ai descendu deux à deux les marches de l’escalier de la tour, et c’est avec un plaisir d’enfant que j’ai parcouru la belle rue de Paris qui conduit droit à Ingouville. Tout respire l’activité et l’amour exclusif de l’argent dans cette belle rue ; on trouve là des figures comme celles de Genève : elle conduit à une place qui est, ce me semble, l’une des plus belles de France. STENDHAL, Mémoires d’un touriste, 1838.
Fabio Porcu, collage, urban fabric of Le Havre in words
Fabio Porcu Landscape + Urbanism Kingston University K1448055 Mentor: Assoc. Prof. Patricia Brown
Introduction
Le Havre is a port city situate on the Normandy coast in the north of France, next to the Seine estuary. For its position among different habitats, for the conformation of the territory and for its history Le Havre is a particular city that has been transformed many times through the history and this process of transformation is still going on. The most noticeable feature of the city is its port: this working infrastructure extends on a surface of around 10000 Ha. The relationship between the city and the port has been since its foundation a distinctive characteristic of the city. Le Havre has been founded in the beginning of the sixteenth century as a new port-gate in place of the ports of Honfleur and Harfleur already become too small. In its first period Le Havre had a defensive function and a commerce function, in particular through the naval routes to the Americas. In the contemporary age the port of Le Havre is still maintaining its importance in the international scenario fighting with its directs competitors in North Europe such as Antwerp, Rotterdam etc.. In the last decade the port is moving out of the city freeing spaces in between the city and the port. This spaces have particular features being close to residential and commercial areas, but, at the same time, they keep the working character of the port; they give to the city and its population new opportunities to develop new activities re-qualifying abandoned sites. The position and the conformation of the territory where the city is situated make Le Havre a multifaceted city: it is divided in two principal parts: the upper town and the lower town. The upper town developed on the chalk cliff surmounts the lower town, the Seine Estuary and the port on the channel; the lower town, built on a land formed by debris brought by the river, is the part of the city more related with the port, the beach and the surrounded territory. The polyhedral character of Le Havre reflects also on the urban fabric: the city is fragmented and every districts have their own soul with activities different from each other. As a result of this strong division among the districts the city is fragmented and the opportunity to move within it appears limited and in some case not very easy. The aim of this project is to take advantage from the features of the city and to transform the fragmentation of the urban fabric in a strong point to link together the activities giving the opportunity to citizens and tourists to move from a part to another one, passing through the different characters of the city observing what is happening along their walk. The opportunity to do this experiment is given in the Quai de Southampton: this terrace is situated in front of the city centre, in front of the avant port and among a series of activities and functions typical of Le Havre. The site has been recently given back from the port authority to the city, currently it hosts some important activities such as the ship control and the port centre (ex ferry terminal) and next to it there is the museum of modern arts AndrĂŠe Marlaux and others small business activities. Re-qualifying this area it will be possible connect the part of the city where working activities are running (the port area) and the opposite part where leisure activities are located, connecting these with the residential areas inside the city. The site is seeing as an hub, a space with the function of connection to give new opportunities to the city linking it to the waterfront.
Contents
Introduction
4
Chapter 1: Context
9
1.1 Location 1.2 The Seine Estuary 1.3 City and Port 1.4 Topography 1.5 History 1.6 Urban Fabric 1.7 UNESCO site
10 12 14 16 20 24 28
Chapter 2: Quai de Southampton
32
Chapter 3: The Linking Strategy
43
Chapter 4: First Proposal
55
2.1 Location 2.2 Features 2.3 The Tidal Range
3.1 Features 3.2 Site Issues 3.3 Concept
4.1 From concept to First Proposal 4.2 First Proposal_Abandoned Ideas 4.3 First Proposal_Retained Ideas
33 35 40
44 48 50
56 60 64
Chapter 5: The Project
5.1 Masterplan 5.2 Inclusion of the museum André Malraux 5.3 The civil activities Area 5.4 La Structure Métallique 5.5 La Structure Flottante 5.6 Pallet Material 5.7 The Planting Strategy
Final Reflections Bibliography and References
69
70 76 78 80 90 104 106
114 121
Chapter 1: Context 9
1 Context 1.1 Location 10
Le Havre is situated in the north coast of France: in the region of Normandy. The city overlooks the channel (called in French La Manche). The Climate is temperate oceanic. Days without wind are rare and there are maritime influences throughout the year. The position of the city is very strategic because the closeness to Rouen and Paris, reachable with car, train and boat, and its overlooking on the Channel that give to the city the opportunity to have commercial relationships with the rest of Europe and other continents. Le Havre is located in Normandy, this region has many different
characters and habitats, it is influenced by the sea and by the rivers, in particular by the Seine and its Estuary. The Landscape in Normandy is homogeneous characterized by prairies and farmlands.
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1 Context 1.2 The Seine Estuary 12
Le Havre is situated next to the Seine Estuary, this is a very particular environment, and it has a big influence on the city. The lower part of Le Havre is built on the land formed by the debris brought by the river. The Seine is a 776 km long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. Through the river Le Havre is connected with other cities, such us Rouen and Paris, on the course of the river, and it represents a waterway on which there a important commercial trades. The influence on the economy of the city
is noticeable also with the 3 dry-docks in the port of Le Havre that are used more for river boats. For its particular conditions the Estuary of The Seine is a natural reserve, this decision was taken in 1999 to preserve the environment with the marshland that are the natural habitat for many animal species living there. On the other part of the river is situated the small town of Honfleur. This city had big importance in the past as a port, until it was replaced by Le Havre. In the contemporary age Honfleur keeps an important role in the tourism as a characteristic town of Normandy.
Marshland in the Seine Estuary
Pont du Normandie seen from the marshland
13
Relationship between Le Havre and the Seine estuary
Le Havre, Honfleur and the natural reserve of the Seine Estuary
1 Context 1.3 City and Port 14
An important component of Le Havre is with no doubt the port. Since the foundation of the city the port has been the most important feature of the city, for economical, cultural and social reasons giving work to around 16000 people in the region and with 68.6 million tons of cargo in 2011, the port of Le Havre is the second largest French seaport in trade volume behind that of Marseille and 50th largest port in the world. The port of Le Havre is very important also for its size, with its 100 Km2 it represent almost half of the surface of the city.
The port is developed from the city to the inland along the Seine course and within it there are many factories and refineries. Many projects have been developed to improve the port, the last one is “Port 2000� increasing the handling capacity for containers. Some parts of the port close to the city, such as l’Ile de la Citadelle and Quai du Southampton, have been given back to the city and they represent an important opportunity to experiment new projects for a requalification useful for citizens and tourists.
Avant port of Le Havre seen from Quai de Southampton
Cruise Terminal seen from Quai de Southampton
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Relationship between city and port
1 Context 1.4 Topography 16
The Topography of Le Havre is very particular: the city is basically divided in two parts: the lower city and the higher city. The ground level can vary from 0 to around 100 meters on the sea level. The northern district is built on the cliff of the city formed mainly by chalk, in the higher part of the city is situated the Montgeon forest, an ancient forest with a very rich habitat. The southern district, on which is developed the port is formed by debris brought by the river and by the human action, in fact some part of the city, in particular on the waterfront and around the city centre
City components
are built subtracting space from the water. An important feature in the southern district is the UNESCO site in the city centre; it was designed by the architect August Perret after the bombing during the world war 2 when the entire centre of Le Havre has been destroyed.
17
Topography of Le Havre
View from the cliff
18
Images of the Montgeon forest
Panoramic view of the port
19
Images of the port in the lower town
1 Context 1.5 History 20
The zone of the estuary of the Seine has been inhabited since the neolithic, the village of Leure and its commercial port appeared after the 11th century. Le Havre was founded in 1517 by royal command of King Franรงois I to replace the historic harbours of Harfleur and Honfleur. Despite difficulties during the construction caused by marshland and weather the port became operative in 1518. In 1540 King Franรงois I decided to hire the architect from Siena Girolamo Bellarmato to design a project for a new plan of the city and a development of the fortifications. In his plan was organized the new neighbourhood of Saint Vincent. In the 16th century the city had a quick expansion thanks to commercial relationship with America, it was in that period that many French expeditions to the new world departed from Le Havre. Cause this new role of commercial gateway new fortifications were built between 1594 and 1610 and in 1581 a canal between Harfleur and the Seine estuary was built. In the 17th century the defensive function of the city was reaffirmed and the modernization of the port began on the orders of Cardinal Richelieu who was the governor of the city in that period. Under the government of Richelieu were built in the city the arsenal, Roy Basin and a fortress, meanwhile the city walls were reinforced again. The canal Vauban between Le Havre and Harfleur was inaugurated in 1669. During the 17th century Le Havre was one of the largest slave trade port in France and in the 18th century many wealthy traders built their houses on the coast and the economic boom of the city resulted in an increase of its population, but also in important changes in the port and in the city itself. After a short period of decrease of the population caused by the
reduction of the port activities Le Havre lived its golden age during the first half of the 19th century that was, for Le Havre, a period of prosperity, in fact until the first world war the city was the primary European port for coffee. In between the two world wars the population of the city stopped to grow, and in the last decades the city has become a shrinking city. From the historic maps it is possible to understand how the city centre changed through the centuries: it is noticeable to see how the space has been gained from the water and how the city centre was similar to an island in the past. At the end of the 19th century, probably because the economic boom, there was a growing need of space for buildings, the water channels surrounding the city centre were filled to create new available land. In the same period most of the defensive walls of the city were destroyed, as a result of the lack of need to protect the city from England, with which France was in war during long time. Another important experiment is the study of the evolution of the coastline in the Quai de Southampton, built on the water. This part of the waterfront was modified mainly after its destruction during the bombing in the second world war.
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1754 21
1844
1878
1926
2015
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Historic images of the waterfront of Le Havre
1657
1754
1844
1878
1926
1939
1947
1964
1973
1985
2001
Historic evolution of Quai de Southampton
2014
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1 Context 1.6 Urban Fabric 24
One of the most influential characteristic of the urbanism in Le Havre is the fragmentation of its Urban Fabric. The districts in the city are strongly separated and they have different characteristics. The feeling walking among the neighbourhoods is to move from a city to another one. Talking with people in the city it is usual to hear that there is not a city centre, but there are more than one situated in different part of the city, there is for instance the city centre designed by August Perret, an area mainly residential, and a commercial centre next to Basin de l’Eure. This
fragmentation can be a problem for the city, but the government of the city is trying to face it: in 2012 has been completed the construction of the 2 tramlines of the city connecting the beach and the city centre in the southern district with the northern district and the peripheral areas of the city.
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Fragmentation of the Urban Fabric
1000 m
26
Connections within the city
27
Images of the new tram-line
1 Context 1.7 UNESCO site 28
The city centre of Le Havre has a very particular history. During the second world war, mostly in September 1944, the city was bombed by the USA army. The objective of the “Astonia” operation was to conquer the port of the city. In spring 1945, Raoul Dautry, of the Ministry of Reconstruction and Urban Development, entrusted the project to rebuild the city of Le Havre to the architect Auguste Perret. The city council requested to have Félix Brunau as a part of the planning team, but subsequently he left the project, a short time later, due to creative conflicts with Perret.
Perret wanted to make a clean sweep of the old structures and applied the theories of structural classicism. The material to be used for the building construction was reinforced concrete and the general plan was an orthogonal frame. Officially, the reconstruction was completed in the mid-1960s. The project of Perret is an important example of rationalism and it became an UNESCO site in 2005.
1939 29
1945
1964
30
UNESCO site and buffer zone
31
Overlap of the old urban fabric and the new one
Chapter 2: Quai de Southampton 33
2 Quai de Southampton 2.1 Location 34
The chosen area for the project is the Quai de Southampton, this part of the city has been given back by the port authority of Le Havre to the municipality with the opportunity to join their capacities, even economical, for the requalification of this section of the waterfront. The Quai du Southampton is situated in front of the city centre, inside the buffer zone of the UNESCO site, and in front of the avant port. It has been always a very important spot in the port of Le Havre, but in the last few years it has lost its importance for people arriving in the city by boat when the ferry terminal was moved to l’Ile de la citadelle in 2007.
The strategic position of the site, in between the land and the water and in between the working part of the port and the part of the waterfront reserved more for leisure activities, makes this terrace on the water the perfect place to create a new environment connecting different part of the city. This project can be a new opportunity for Le Havre to face again the problem cause by the fragmentation of the Urban Fabric and the separation of the function in the coastline of the city.
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Project area
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1000 m
2 Quai de Southampton 2.2 Features 36
The site project appears as a threshold of the city. For its shape and position it is a place where it is easy to notice many opportunities in a requalification project. In this area flow the principle axes of the circulation in the city centre and there are some elements that have cultural importance or an important role in the ships control. The port centre is situated right in the middle of the site and it was the old ferry terminal. After the moving of the ferry terminal it has been reconverted in a cultural centre where there are different educational
activities going on about the port. In the corner in front of the avant port there is “les autorités portuaires” that, through its tower is the control centre for the naval traffic at the entrance of the port. The other building in the site that has an important role for the project and for the city is the museum of modern art André Malraux, situated next to the port authority.
37
Axonometry view of Quai du Southampton Port Centre
Les autorités portuaires
Musée Malraux
38
Panoramic view of Quai du Southampton
Museum André Malraux
Museum André Malraux
Port centre
Port centre
39
Port authority
Port authority
Port centre
Port authority
2 Quai de Southampton 2.3 The Tidal Range 40
The tide in le Havre is, certainly, one of the features that influence more the waterfront of the city. The tidal range is around 8 meters and it causes a big difference in the relationship between the water and the coastline and inside the port. The big difference between the low tide and the high tide changes every day the aspect of the lower city. In this optic it can be said that the coastline changes according with the level of the tide, when the tide is low some parts of the bottom of the port are free by the water, while when the tide rises again these parts are covered by the water.
It is possible to use this huge gap between low and high tide to create a floating space that stays always at the level of the water changing the perception of the people standing there according with the tide. It gives as well the possibility to design some parts of the waterfront with a strict relationship whit the changing of the tide, providing for example some space that can be flooded when tide is high, but, being inside the port, right in front of the entrance, this parts have to be well thought to deal with the ship traffic whitin the port and the movements of the water created by it.
Example of the tidal range chart in Le Havre 41
Low tide seen from Quai de Southampton
High tide seen from Quai de Southampton
Chapter 3: The linking strategy 43
3 The linking strategy 3.1 Features 44
The Quai de Southampton can be seen as a link for the other parts of the city. Being in the connection point of different activities and being in between the city and the port this space can be transformed in a living space where citizens and tourists can have the opportunity to enjoy their time close to the water. The sea has always had a big influence on Le Havre, and, obviously, on the port, the biggest space in the city, this site is the connection ring in the middle port and city. Its position is, obviously, influenced by the presence of the
UNESCO site of the city centre, and this relationship will be used and emphasized through the city grid designed by August Perret. The projection of the city grid and the visual connection with the most recognizable buildings in the urban fabric of the city will be the guideline for the composition rule of the project.
Connection through the main axes
Connection in the city centre 45
Links from the city to the site
Links from the site to the city
Access points
Internal subdivision
1 2 46
6 3 4
7
5
8
1_Hotel de Ville 2_Saint Joseph church 3_MusĂŠe AndrĂŠ Malraux 4_Port authority Visual connection with between landmarks and project area
5_Port centre 6_August Perret towers 7_ Grand Port Maritime du Havre 8_ EdF Le Havre Coal Power Plant France
47
Projection of the city grid on the project area
3 The linking strategy 3.2 Site issues 48
At the current situation the site is almost abandoned, even if there are many activities going on there and some important buildings are situated within the project area the feeling being there is emptiness. One of the main problem is the street quite busy that create a barrier between the city and the site. To solve this problem it is possible to work on the road system simplifying the pass for pedestrian and cyclist from the city centre to the waterfront. Defining the site issues is the first step to understand which decisions have to be taken to solve them. The first issue noticeable in
Quai de Southampton is the feeling of separation from the sea, and the sensation of being in a separated part of the city. The strategy aims to solve this problem moving, ideally the city close to the water. The pattern designed by August Perret for the city centre is easily recognisable and typical of the rationalist architectural movement of the first half of the twentieth century. Reproducing this pattern through the projection of the city centre grid on the project area is possible to create a close relationship with the urban fabric and with the city in a bigger view.
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Barrier caused by the street
Parking on Quai de Southampton
Street on Quai de Southampton
3 The linking strategy 3.3 Concept 50
The concept of the project is based mainly on how it is possible to cross the site. Being a connection point between different activities it is important to give to people the opportunity to pass through the site in a fast way to reach other destinations with a fast walk. At the same time the project provides the possibility to have a slow walk next to the water. The area next to the water is designed to give the opportunity spend time in the site, changing the current situation where the entire site is used mainly as a parking. The third part of the project is a walk on the water: this walk
created through a floating structure allows people to walk always on the sea level. The tidal range in Le Havre is important, through the walk on the water level people can experience the change of perception of the city caused by the rising level of the water. At the current situation the site is, more or less, a barrier in between the city and the water, through longitudinal and transversal connection the project aims to reconnect these two elements and doing it the city, through the projection of the city grid, will come near the water.
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fast walk
Three walks diagram
slow walk
water walk
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Longitudinal and transversal connections
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connection to Honfleur and Seine estuary
Stitching city and water together
Chapter 4: First proposal 55
4 First Proposal 4.1 From concept to the first proposal 56
The project comes from a long process during which ideas changed several times. Before to arrive at the master project with its final proposal the work has been developed from the concept and the guidelines to a first proposal. Some parts of this starting proposal are changed in the master project, while some other parts have been kept even in the final version of the project. It is important to show the parts that are still used in the final project, but also the parts that are changed. The reason behind this chapter is to show all the entire process
that brought to the final decision. Designing is a process that can change several times even if the starting point is the same. Even if the designer is the same, he can change his ideas through the time for many reasons, such as new acknowledgement, new information or just because there was a change from the starting idea.
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Preliminary study sketches on the site
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Proposal sketches about possible configurations
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Sections and sketches about possible new functions
4.2 first proposal_abandoned drawings
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Configuration map
4.2 first proposal_abandoned drawings
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Waterfront axonometry
4.2 first proposal_abandoned drawings
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Axonometry diagram
Axonometric Diagram
Positioning of trees in the site
Lawns and Meadows
Inclusion of the Museum AndrĂŠ Malraux and squares in the site
Car circulation
Pedestrian and cycle circulation
Axonometric view of the Project
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4.3 first proposal_retained ideas
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Study sketches on the circulation system
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Study diagrams on the circulation system
4.3 first proposal_retained ideas
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Study rendering on the circulation system
4.3 first proposal_retained ideas
67
Sections on the division in layers of the communication system
Chapter 5: The project 69
5 The Project 5.1 New spatial configuration 70
The spatial configuartion is developed following the concept: - connection between land and water - longitudinal and transversal links - visual connections between landmarks - projection of the city grid on the project area - separation of fast and slow walk With this guidelines the masterplan of the project reflects the city pattern next to the water, in this way the gap between the city and the water is deleted. The saptial configuration is divided basically in the following
different parts: - the terrace of the MusĂŠe Malraux, that includes the museum in the project - the main square where is situated the cafe and the space for events - the garden in between the port authority and the port centre, in this area natural species from the coast of Normandy will be placed in an urban context. Big importance has also the elevated path for pedestrian and bicycles that allows people to move easily from the city to the waterfront.
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Conceptual sketch about the distribution of functions
0
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100 m
74
main buildings commercial activities playground garden parkink slots parking for bus parking for rental cars parking for campers street
Current functions in the site
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main buildings commercial activities playground garden parkink slots area for social events inclusion of the MusĂŠe Malraux connection with the water street
Proposal for new functions
5 The Project 5.2 Inclusion of the museum André Malraux 76
The inclusion of the museum of modern art Andrée Malraux is one of the main points in the project. At the current situation the museum is separated from the rest of the site by the street, removing the part of “boulevard Clemenceau” in front of the square where the museum is situated it is possible to allow people to move free from the museum to the waterfront. The museum is positioned on a pedestal elevated from the ground, stretching this terrace close to the coastline the museum become a crucial point in the project, and the surrounding area is transformed in an
Sketches on the reconnection of the museum with the waterfront
open space available for outdoor exhibitions and for leisure time. In this area plants have a fundamental role, in the part obtained closing the street trees create a barrier protecting the square from the wind, while gardens in between the terrace and the path on the waterfront create a pleasant edge between the square and the water.
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5 The Project 5.3 The civil activities square 78
The square created in the central area is the biggest open area in the project. This space has been thought as the part reserved for civil activities, such as concerts, outdoor conferences, sport events etc.. In this area there is a cafe that, thanks to its position, is easily reachable from any part, for this reason the cafe can have also the function of info point. The cafe is situated under the metal structure that goes along the entire waterfront. Being at the end of the pedestrian path coming from the city centre, the square can be considered as well as a meeting point right in
Steps into the water sketch
front of the water, at the beginning of the slow walk and next to the floating path. In this area the relationship with the port and the water is strongly visible, thanks to the view point and to the steps going directly into the water.
79
5 The project 5.4 La structure mĂŠtallique 80
On the path next to the waterfront all the elements are connected together by a metal structure that has different functions. The main function is that one of cover and protection from the wind. The site is exposed to the south and it is windswept from south west. This structure allows people to walk in front of the coastline having shelter from the sun and seating where it is possible to rest. Moreover, a second function is to connect visually and ideally the different parts of the site. The structure is made with galvanized metal and the cover is made with iron, this material has been chosen because after
the corrosion by atmospheric agents it will appear as the metal furniture that are already in the site, this solution will keep the relationship with the industrial character typical of the site. The metal cover will be folded in some of its parts, in this way it will be transformed in seating places along the path keeping in every place the same relationship through the different elements. Under this metal cover are placed the only two buildings provided in the project: an office where it will be possible book a boat tour to honfleur and the Seine estuary, and a cafe in the main square.
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Different configurations of the metal structure
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From the big view to the small detail
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The folded membrane
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detail 1
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Plan of the metal structure
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100 m
tourist boat ooce
detail cafe
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A
Detail 1_plan
scale 1 : 100
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Detail 1_section A_A’
scale 1 : 100
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B' B
Detail cafe_plan
scale 1 : 200
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Detail cafe_section B_B’
scale 1 : 100
5 The project 5.5 La structure flottante 90
Right in front of the coastline will be positioned a floating structure reachable from two different points of the site. This floating path has been designed as the main contact point with the water. Exploiting the existing systems used for marinas, based on the combination of different materials, such as floating concrete, aluminium structure and a wooden pavement, this floating element takes advantage by the huge tidal range present in Le Havre. The structure provide a path along the waterfront, platforms with seatings and piers where moor boats. Thanks to this floating pier it
is possible to open a new service connecting the city to Honfleur and the Seine estuary. Being a floating structure this part of the project is affected by the tide: people on this part will be always at the sea level and in this way their perception of the city will change according with the tide: when the tide is low the view of the city will be closed by the walls of the port, while when the tide is high the view will be reopened on the city centre, creating a continuity from the city to the industrial buildings situated on the other side of the water.
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Study sketches about the components of the floating path
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Study sketches about materials
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The floating path
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detail 2 detail 1
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Plan of the floating structure
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100 m
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Axonometry of the floating structure
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A
Detail 1_plan
scale 1 : 100
guide poles
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floating platform
Detail 1_section A_A
scale 1 : 100
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B'
B
Detail 2_plan
scale 1 : 100
concrete platform
100
stone pavement
pipe for installations
access ramp
floating platform
88,59째
Detail 2_section B_B high tide
scale 1 : 100
concrete platform
stone pavement
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pipe for installations
access ramp 84,29째
floating platform
Detail 2_section B_B low tide
scale 1 : 100
guide
floating concrete
filling polystyrene
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aluminum structure
0,3 0,3 0,15
0,1
0,35 0,55
0,05
wooden pavement
floating platform detail
scale 1 : 20
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5 The project 5.6 Pallet Material 104
The selection of materials is a mix of materials that are already in the site and that can be reused and new materials that will characterize the mew structures and the new pavements. Reusing the existing materials give the opportunity to keep the character of the site and in this way maintain the relationship with the port. In this optic much important have all the port furnitures situated on the waterfront, they will be maintained in their current position to empathize the port character of the Quai de Southampton. The new pallet of materials that will be added to the current
selection of material present in the site will have the function to create another relationship with the old materials: the metal membrane used for the metal structure will create a visual connection with the port furniture, while the new stone pavings will replicate the pattern of the old pavements typical in the port of Le Havre. The pavement of the floating structure will replicate the wooden pavement used in the Marina of Le Havre in between the site project and the beach.
Reused materials
Port furnitures
New materials
5 The project 5.7 The planting strategy 106
The planting strategy of this project aims to insert in an urban context the typical species coming from the coast of Normandy. The reason behind this choice is that species coming from a close context can have more possibilities to survive. The climate in the site is particular windy and next to the sea, it is then subject to strong salty wind. Plants from the coast of the same region are used to survive in the same condition, especially because they survive on rocky shores right in front of the sea. The plants that are already situated in the site will be kept and
the variety of this species will be part of the plants chosen for the planting strategy. Trees have a particular role in the planting strategy: some of them will have the function of protection from the wind, some others will be planted in correspondence with the projection of the city grid from the city centre; in this way the relationship between the city centre and the waterfront of Le Havre will be further emphasized.
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Existing plants in the site
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planting strategy_trees
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perennials lawns meadows
Planting strategy_ perennials, meadows and lawns
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Brome Grass (Bromus)
Perennial rye-grass (Lolium Perennis)
Other common names cheats chess brome
Other common names crappe English rye grass
Bromus species occur in many habitats in temperate regions of the world, including America, Eurasia, Australia, and Africa.
It is a grass from the family Poaceae. It is native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa. It is ideal for lawn hosting many people.
Existing trees
European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) Other common names common ash Fraxinus are medium-sized to large, mostly deciduous trees with attractive pinnate leaves, sometimes conspicuous flowers and autumn colour, and distinctive winged fruits
Ginkgo biloba
Tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Other common names maidenhair tree
Other common names tulip tree ‘Fastigiatum’
Ginkgo are large deciduous trees, developing an irregular, spreading crown with age, fan-shaped, 2-lobed leaves, and on female trees, unpleasantly scented yellow fruits each containing a single large seed
Liriodendron are vigorous deciduous trees with attractively lobed leaves and green and orange, tulip-shaped flowers in summer; good autumn colour
Caucasian maple (Acer cappadocicum rubrum)
London plane (Platanus acerifolia)
Other common names red Cappadocian maple
planting strategy_trees
Other common names London plane maple-leaved plane
Acer can be deciduous trees or large shrubs with paired, often palmately-lobed leaves and small flowers followed by characteristic winged fruits. Many have fine autumn colour, and some have ornamental stems
Platanus are vigorous, large deciduous trees of stately appearance, with maple-like foliage and attractively patterned bark
Mountain ash (Socurus aucuparia)
Small leafed lime (Tilia cordata)
Other common names mountain ash ‘Eastern Promise’
Other common names little-leaf linden
Socurus can be deciduous trees or shrubs with simple or pinnate leaves and clusters of small white or pink flowers, followed by white, yellow, pink, red or brown berries; some have fine autumn colour
Tilia are deciduous trees with broadly ovate or heart-shaped leaves and pendulous clusters of fragrant yellow-green flowers, followed by conspicuous winged fruits
Maltese cross (Lychnis chalcedonica)
Viper’s Bugloss (Echium vulgare)
Other common names Jerusalem cross
Other common names adderwort
Lychnis can be biennials or perennials, with simple leaves and tubular, salver-shaped or star-shaped flowers in terminal clusters
Echium can be annuals, biennials, evergreen perennials or shrubs, with simple, coarsely hairy leaves and funnel-shaped flowers borne in panicles or dense spikes in summer
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
Other common names rosemary ‘Roseus’
Other common names common sorrel
Rosmarinus are evergreen shrubs with narrow, aromatic leaves and 2-lipped blue flowers borne in small clusters in the leaf axils
Rumex can be annuals, biennials or perennials with mostly basal, simple leaves and erect panicles or racemes of small greenish or reddish flowers followed by reddish-brown, triangular fruits
Black mustard (Brassica nigra)
Common restharrow (Ononis repens).
Other common names brown mustard The plant is believed to be native to the southern Mediterranean region of Europe and possibly South Asia where it has been cultivated for thousands of years.
Common wormwood (Artemisia vulgaris)
Seashore false bindweed (Calystegia Soldanella)
Other common names girdle of St John
Other common names sea bindweed
Artemisia can be shrubs, perennials or annuals, evergreen or deciduous, with usually grey, aromatic, often divided foliage and rather insignificant flower-heads
planting strategy_perennials
Other common names cammock creeping restharrow fin ground furze land whin
114
Planting schedule Qty.
Symbol Latin name
Infill mix 52 RO 99 AV 120 SA 52
pot size
Rosmarinus officinalis 2 litre Artemisia vulgaris 9cm Sesleria autumnalis 9cm Panicum virgatum 9cm Mix in random place the selected plants letting the free to colonize the space, in this way will be possible to have a natural result through the years
Lawn 88.3 kg
1766 m2 Quality hardwearing lawn
Meadow mix 4.65 kg EM3
1163 m2 Special general purpose meadow mixture - Emorsgate seeds
planted apart percentage 10% 15% 15% 10%
50 g/m2
4 g/kg
115
EM3 - special general purpose meadow mixture
infill mix
quality hardwearing lawn
Planting Plan 2
scale 1 : 200
116 Planting schedule Qty.
Symbol Latin name
pot size
planted apart
500 mm c/c 400 mm c/c 400 mm c/c 300 mm c/c
Block planting 76 RO 46 KR 63 AA 534 SA 11 PV
Rosmarinus officinalis Kniphofia rooperi Agapanthus africanus Sesleria autumnalis Panicum virgatum
2 litre 9 cm 9 cm 9 cm 9 cm
Infill mix A 150 SA 150 LC 175 EV 150 OV 50 OR 63 EM
122 m2 Sesleria autumnalis Lychnis chalcedonica Echium vulgare Origanum vulgare Ononis repens Eryngium maritimum
9 cm 9 cm 9 cm 9 cm 9 cm 9 cm
percentage 20% 20% 20% 20% 10% 10%
Infill mix B 336 SA 336 LC 392 EV 84 AV 112 OR 140 EM 112 Er
281 m2 Sesleria autumnalis Lychnis chalcedonica Echium vulgare Artemisia vulgaris Calystegia Soldanella Eryngium maritimum Erysimum ‘Bowles’s Mauve’
9 cm 9 cm 9 cm 9 cm 9 cm 9 cm 9 cm
percentage 20% 20% 20% 10% 10% 10% 10%
Infill mixes set up in irregular pattern with approximate distances of 300 mm c/c
infill mix A
infill mix B
16no. KR PV
30no. RO
18no. KR
PV
117
PV PV
270no. Sesleria autumnalis
45no. AA PV
18no. AA
28no.RO
PV PV
90no. Sesleria autumnalis PV
12no. KR
18no. RO
PV
Planting Plan 2
PV PV
174no. Sesleria autumnalis
scale 1 : 200
1
1 stone pavement (50 mm) 2 cement screeds (250 - 300 mm) 3 compacted subsoil 4 topsoil, sand soil mixture (100 - 150 mm) 5 interlocking (100 - 150 mm) 6 improved subsoil with gravel sand or rubble ( 150 - 200 mm) 7 drainage course, mixed grain 0/16 or 0/20 (300 - 400 mm) 8 drainage channel with drainpipe
1
4 5
2
6 3
7
8
Planting Plan 2 detail and visual
scale 1 : 25
119
Final reflections 120
This project was seen as a try to experiment the many opportunities given by a complex context as it is the city of Le Havre. The chosen site is a particular spot for its history, its position and its relationship with the different environments within the urban fabric. As every Landscape and Urbanism design process many decisions were taken according with the information available about the context and with my impressions and ideas. Being an huge site not all the parts has been developed in depth, but I tried to give some examples about which kind of impressions the Threshold for Le Havre could give to people
visiting this site after the Quai de Southampton will be restored. Thinking about the possible next step, I could speculate about a cooperation with associations and organizations working on the preservation of the habitat in the coast of Normandy. The main point of this project is the try to recover an underestimated site in the city of Le Havre through new functions and rethinking the perception of the people about the many opportunities given by the closeness to the city and the water, and through a reconnection of the city with the surrounded natural context through the natural species.
Bibliography and references Bibliography
http://www.ehow.co.uk/list_7432897_plants-shallow-garden-bed.html
Beck, T. (2013), Principles of Ecological Landscape Design, Island Press, Washington D.C., USA Etienne-Steiner, C. (1999) Le Havre Auguste Perret et La Reconstruction, Inventaire General/ADAGP, Farnce Han, M. (1999) City and Port. Urban Transformations in London, Barcelona, New York, Rotterdam, International Books, Utrecht, Netherlands
Red List, (2015), The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, accessed online 06/09/2015, http://www.iucnredlist.org/technical-documents/ acknowledgements
Philippe, E. (2012), Guide Découverte de la Nature au Havre - Sur les chemins de la biodiversité citadine, Muséum d’histoire naturelle du Havre, Le Havre, France Rice, C. (2006), The Royal Horticultural Society: Encyclopedia of perennials, Dorling Kinderslay Limited, Dondon, England Robinson, N.H. (2004), The Planting Design Handbook, 2nd edition, Ashgate Publishing Limited, Aldershot, England Various authors (2009) Le Grad Par(I)s, Le Monteur Architecture Paris, France Waldheim, C. (2006), The Landscape Urbanism Reader, New York, USA White, W.H. (1980), The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces, The conservation Foundation, London, England Zimmerman, A. (2008), Constructing Landscape - Materials technique, structural components, 2nd edition, Birkhauser Verlag AG, Basel, Germany Sitography Avenioweb, (n.d.), Plan de classement du fonds, accessed online 06/07/2015, http://avenio.ville-lehavre.fr/4DCGI/Web_ FondsPClassND/4Fi/ILUMP22358 CODAH, (2014) Plan Interactive, accessed online 06/09/2015, http:// servicesig102.codah.fr/GEOAGGLO/ Cartanciennes, (n.d.), Cartes marines anciennes, accessed online 06/09/2015, http://cartanciennes.free.fr/liste_marine.php#morbian.jpg Cartocassini, (2006), Les atlas de France, accessed online 06/09/2015, http://www.cartocassini.org/cartecassini/france.php Cartocassini, (2006), Les cartes de Cassini, accessed online 06/09/2015, http://www.cartocassini.org/cartecassini/france.htm Data.Shom, (2013), Information géographique maritime et littorale de référence, accessed online 06/09/2015, http://data.shom.fr/#donnees eHow, (), Plants for a shallow garden bed, accessed online 06/09/2015,
Royal Horticultural Society, (2014), Plants, accessed online 06/09/2015, https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants Saisonmenu, (2014), LE HAVRE, Quai Southampton et Chaussée Kennedy, accessed online 06/09/2015, http://www.saisonmenu-architectes.com/ projets/le-havre-quai-southampton-et-chaussee-kennedy/ Catalogue of images p. 17 Modified map of Le Havre, 2014, available on https://www.google. co.uk/maps/ p. 21 Modified ancient maps of Le Havre, n.d., available on http:// cartanciennes.free.fr/liste_marine.php#morbian.jpg p. 22 Historic maps of the waterfront of Le Havre, available on http:// bateauduhavre.over-blog.com/page/6 p. 27 fig. 1 Le tramway du Havre, available on http://www.parisnormandie.fr/detail_article/articles/PN-1108478/le-tramway-du-havreune-locomotive-pour-limmobilier-1108478#.VdydTflVhBc, viewed 16/07/2015 p. 27 fig. 2 Le tramway du Havre, available on http://transporturbain. canalblog.com/archives/le_havre/index.html, viewed 16/07/2015 p. 27 fig. 3 Transport in Le Havre, available on https://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Transport_in_Le_Havre, viewed 16/07/201 p. 29 Historic aerial views of the city centre, available on http:// servicesig102.lehavre.fr/GEOLH/ p. 30 Modified map of the UNESCO site, available on http://whc. unesco.org/uploads/nominations/1181.pdf p. 111 fig. 1, Brome Grasses, available on http://www.tricountystockdale. com/wholesale/wholesale-grass-seed p. 111 fig.2, Perennial rye-grass, available on http://www.extension.umn. edu/garden/landscaping/maint/ts-selecting-cool-season.htm p. 112 fig. 2 European Ash, available on http://www.rootcellar.us/
121
wildflowers/mtnash.htm
Acknowledgement
p. 112 fig. 3 Ginko Biloba, available on http://samadimd.com/ alternative-medicine/2015/2/17/what-you-need-to-know-about-ginkgobiloba
Kingston University: Patricia Brown ARUP: Simon Green Port of Le Havre: Olivier Forget AURH: Agence d’Urbanisme de la Région du Havre
p. 112 fig 4 Tulip tree, available on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Liriodendron p. 112 fig. 5 Caucasian Maple, available on http://www.thepottedgarden. co.uk/product/list/31/Trees p. 112 fig. 6 London plane, available on http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/ walks/trees.htm 122
p. 112 fig. 7 Mountain ash, available on https://commons.wikimedia. org/wiki/File:Western_mountain_ash_(Sorbus_sitchensis)_--_leaves_ and_fruit.JPG p. 112 fig. 8 Small leafed lime, available on http://www. woodlandtrustshop.com/products/236-small-leaved-lime.aspx p. 113 fig. 1 Lychnis chalcedonica, available on http://www. swallowtailgardenseeds.com/perennials/lychnis.html p. 113 fig. 2 , Viper’s Bugloss. available on http://www.svt.ac-versailles. fr/spip.php?breve309 p. 113 fig. 3 Rosemary, available on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Rosemary p. 113 fig. 4 Garden sorrel, available on http://www.naturespot.org.uk/ species/common-sorrel p. 113 fig. 5 Black mustard, available on http://malag.aes.oregonstate. edu/wildflowers/images.php/id-2360/fullsize-1 p. 113 fig. 6 Common restharrow, available on http://www.british-wildflowers.co.uk/R-Flowers/Restharrow.htm p. 113 fig. 7 Common wormwood, available on http://www.imagejuicy. com/images/plants/a/artemisia/21/ p. 113 fig. 8 Seashore false bindweed, available on https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calystegia_soldanella#/media/File:Calystegia_ soldanella_060524wb.jpg