| Marseilles (France) Topic 3: Cultural Identities |
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'Integrated heritage': an innovative approach The 'Integrated heritage' study constitutes an experimental and innovative approach; it aims to take into account the elements of architectural heritage which, without being exceptional, form part of the context of the inhabitants in their daily lives. The very notion of 'integrated heritage' is taken from the European Charter for Architectural Heritage, adopted by the Council of Europe in 1975. The European Charter proclaims a number of principles taking into account, notably, new patrimonial values, considerations which are a necessary part of sustainable development and social integration. It thus refers to 'a quality of atmosphere', an 'incarnation of the past' indispensable to 'people's harmony and fulfilment', 'respect for the proportions, form and the arrangement of volumes, and for traditional materials.' The study is based on a partnership bringing together the city of Marseille , the regional council and the Ministry of Culture and Communication - The Regional General Inventory Department. AGAM ('Agence d'Urbanisme de l'Agglomération Marseillaise') has been given the task by these various bodies of being project manager. Bringing together the inhabitants - with interviews, visits, exhibitions, etc.- constitutes one of the major aspects of this approach. The context The 'Grand Projet de Ville' (GPV - Major City Development Project) originally called the Major Urban Project (GPU) is a procedure which was launched at the national scale in 1993. The objective of GPV is to apply a large amount of funding to counter urban imbalances, namely:
The territory to which this process applies involves almost 220.000 inhabitants. This process involves many projects which will inevitably transform this section of the city. The partners in the project have agreed on the necessity of acquiring a better understanding of the development and urban history of this area before major modifications are made, and applying the integrated heritage approach in the L'Estaque district, within the GPV, which constitutes the experimental territory. L'Estaque an experimental territory Situated in the extreme north of the Commune of Marseilles, urbanisation
of the Estaque sector is only recent; at the beginning of the 19th
century, it was mainly farming land with a few sporadic hamlets,
one of which is the village of L'Estaque. However, industrial activity
first began to develop with about 30 tile-making plants, already
at that time. The goals Accompanying these major town planning developments, taking into account the initial basis, both the landscapes and the mentality of the inhabitants of the districts, is the very essence of the 'integrated heritage' approach; the latter is conceived as a genuine process of urban intervention, and as a guarantee against a possible destruction of identity. Methodology More tangibly, the study is organised in two sections.
A first exhibition, 'The church district, l'Estaque', highlighted
This first exhibition, staged in the heart of the district, was primarily addressed to the inhabitants of the area; it was accompanied by a slide show which displayed in a more whimsical manner the purposes of this experimental approach. The 'Church quarter of L'Estaque' is one of the emblematic sites of L'Estaque; clinging onto the relief of the landscape, it dominates the Estaque-beach area still today displaying a topographical background of terraces dating from the agricultural period. During the successive urbanisation movements, 'islands of buildings' started to take the place of vineyards as early as 1819. Through its position on the promontory, the church, erected in 1851, forms the focus of the spatial structure. Urbanisation was often the outcome on the building allotments on land of the former tile making plants; indeed, the working of the clay quarries and manufacture of tiles was for a long period a fundamental activity in this sector; one forming the quarter, but also providing the basis for its history and settlement patterns. The tiles were exported throughout the world; this trade fostered intense maritime activity contributing in particular to introducing new plant species blending into the plants of the area. This urbanisation in the form of building allotments can be seen today in the regular rectangles organised around wide, straight thoroughfares. The place names also represent a record of history; for instance, fishing, which was the other major activity in L'Estaque is recalled to the passer-by in the street names: rue des Pêcheurs, rue de la Rascasse, impasse des Oursins referring to the fishermen, the local species of rockfish, sea urchins etc. A new exhibition entitled 'The courtyards and alleys of L'Estaque' is now being prepared. This theme presents an original urban form, the traces of which can still be seen today in the structure of this area The courtyard or alley forms living cells organised around a common yard in which common functions are organised: toilets, the linen washhouse, storage sheds,... This exhibition will also highlight a lifestyle -- neighbourly relations and sharing of public, private and community spaces. The slide show will tackle the question of limits: changeover from public space to private and community spaces and lastly to individual private space.
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