Civic Friche, Issue 2

IVIC FRICHE
JOURNAL OF EMERGENT URBANITY
/ Jacob + Macfarlane / Franklin Azzi /
Coloco / Eduoard Francois / bureaux
de Fatasme Urbaine / Patrick Beauc
/ Belleville Porte Ouvertes / Encore
Heureux / Anish Kapoor / Fichtre! /
ISBN 978-0-557-65276-1 Printed in Michigan
90000
France / Germany / Belgium / Italy
/ Spain / Netherlands 18 Euro
USD 22
9
780557
652761

Grégoire Alexandre
HISTOIRES PARALLÉLES
PHOTOGRAPHIC COMMISSION
OCTOBER 30, 2011 - JANUARY 15, 2012
OPENING OCTOBER 29
VILLA NOAILLES, HYÈRES
COMMUNAUTÉ D’AGGLOMÉRATION TOULON PROVENCE MÉDITERRANÉE

MUSIC by L DENOYER
GUEST artist BRANDIE MOSES
>14:00 to 17:00 475 CONGDON STREET
Between SUMMIT + LINCOLN
__
FEDERAL SCREW WORKS
__
11 DECEMBER 2011
CHELSEA MICHIGAN
A COLLECTIVE INSTALLATION
BY TEAM META FRICHE
__
FREE PRIVATE EVENT
DOWNLOAD INVITATION
AT CIVICFRICHE.COM

content
12
16
24
30
Encore Heureux Build
a Dive Bar(ge)
Lab LA-
BANQUE
Fichtre!
Un Oeil Unique
63
69
78
84
Le Fresnoy
Open Doors
Franklin
Azzi
Villa Noailles
121
126
137
143
150
COLOCO in
Montreuil
RGB DIY
Pampas
de Rolex
Les Frigos
Edouard
François

38
Anish Kapoor’s Leviathan
lands
46
BASE Camp
Belleville
50
Three Ports
96
Digital
Pleasure
100
Notre Dame du Travail
108
Rue du
Noyer
156
Meta Tag
162
Jacob + Macfarlane

team
VIRGINIA
BLACK
Virginia Black wants to be an
architect. One time, she almost beat
Jordan in a dance-off at la lieu unique
in Nantes (see: Jordan Johnson). She
grew up in South Carolina and is proud
to have relocated to the burgeoning
metropolis that is Ann Arbor. You
can find her drinking coffee and
changing line weights in Illustrator.
She holds many self-prescribed and
informal titles, including theoretician
of the blatant, fondue guide, traveler,
scavenger and gypsy. She is interested
in fashion, body architecture,
disintegration, texture, 90s game
system fonts, cilantro and list-making.
Items of religious significance include
tone-on-tone, beards and brutalism.
MELISSA
BONFIL
Having been raised in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, the latin flavor follows
Melissa and makes her dance even
if there is no music playing. Melissa
speaks fluent English, Spanish,
Italian, has some knowledge of
Portuguese. She attended the
University of Michigan, where she
obtained her Bachelor of Science
in Architecture, and decided that 4
years wasn’t enough, so she went
straight through to obtain her Masters.
Some of Melissa’s interests include
drawing techniques, the fast pace
of technology advancement and its
effects in architecture and society, and
the relationship between music and
architecture spatially. She always has
a smile on her face, but do not mess
with her; she has been playing field
hockey since the age of six.
06
J E E E U N
HAM
Jeeeun Ham received a bachelor’s
degree in housing and interior design
from Yonsei University in Seoul,
Korea. She is now a 2nd year graduate
student at the University of Michigan.
Her interests include the process of
abandonment and redevelopment of
architectures in urban sites.
JENNIFER
KOMOROWSKI
Fluent in English, sarcasm, hyperdetailed
storytelling, and hopefully
one day French, Jennifer believes
in the daily adventures that change
your perception of the world -
from spontaneous conversations
to occasional shopping cart rides
through Paris. Photographic subjects
of interest include corners, trash,
and rocks. Although an adventurous
explorer of foods, she admits a head of
fresh broccoli and a variety of cereal
constitute the most beloved items in
her pantry. Despite claiming to be
no grammar snob, she is irritated by
contractions in formal papers and any
sentence ending in a preposition.

PEYTON
COLES
JOSEPH
FILIPPELLI
BRITTANY
GACSY
CHRISTOPHER
REZNICH
MICHAEL
SANDERSON
Peyton Coles was born and raised
in The Plains, Virginia and received
his undergraduate degree in English
from Middlebury College in 2008.
He is currently in year two of his
three year M.Arch degree at the
University of Michigan’s Taubman
College of Architecture + Urban
Planning.Peyton is interested in
entrepreneurial architecture, business’
role in emergent urban projects, and
ecological economics.
Joe(y) Filippelli is a former Buckeye,
but full blown Michigander for the
better part of the decade. When not
pulling all-nighters or chasing down
Renzo Piano for an autograph, he
enjoys photography, cooking, eating, fly
fishing, and a good round of golf (all
at the same time of course). He find
inspiration from architecture that blurs
the boundaries and logics between
landscape and built form. Ultimately,
he hopes to launch his own firm.
Brittany Gacsy came into this world
with a power drill in one hand and
the steering wheel of her Detroit
made, candy apple red, Ford Mustang
in the other. Born in the The Steel
City, she grew up unsure of her lifes
path. As a result, she collected majors
like trading cards and eventually
landed on architecture. Only through
architecture can brit fully entertain
her life motto of “more is more”.
Chris Reznich is currently pursuing an
undergraduate degree in architecture.
In his spare time, he likes long walks
and longer talks, enlivens when they
go somewhere,enjoys that sunshine
makes the plants grow, but prefers
to lay in the shade; he picks up every
penny in case it’s lucky, and will always
finish the wine.
Michael Sanderson tackled the
boulevards of Paris with his two
enduring companions… a magenta
Canon and a pair of exceptionally
weathered sandals. Despite
insufficient footwear and a perpetual
lack of a map, he’s a firm believer
that everything eventually works out
for the best. He has a passion for
architecture, travel, and architectural
travel. Can spend little, but laugh a
lot. He attributes his carefree nature
to his West Michigan, Grand Haven
upbringing. He’s a big fan of Paris
cuisine, specifically microwave doner
kebab and Spar convenience store
beer blondes. Thanks enlarge to his
pursuit of becoming an architect, other
interests include sleeping, sleeping in,
and sleeping in class.
KYUNG JIN
HONG
JORDAN
JOHNSON
BRIAN
MUSCAT
A S H
THOMAS
CATIE
TRUONG
KyungJin Hong comes from South
Korea, and she is currently a 2G
graduate student at the Taubman
College of Architecture + Urban
Planning. She loves picnic tools,
maps, sneakers, backpack, any kinds
of coffee and music, TV, incandescent
lighting, aroma therapy oils, goose
down comforter, sofa, and home-home.
Jordan Johnson is in his second year
of the Master of Archicture program
at Taubman College. Prior to pursuing
graduate study, Jordan attended Calvin
College in Grand Rapids. Jordan is a
lifelong resident of Michigan. Since
living in Paris, Jordan has adopted
an entirely new outlook on life.
Admittedly, he has not yet mastered
the Parisian way of life. But in the
process has found solace at MacDo,
andthe occasionally Taco Bell. Gotta
love Michigan.
Brian Muscat studied architecture at
the Taubman college of architecture
and is currently studying at the school
of Art and Design at the University
of Michigan. Brian is inspired by the
way each field informs the other. His
current research and interests focus
on the anamorphic, materials and
structure, as well as relationship of
aggregate parts to the whole.
Ash Thomas is finishing up her
undergraduate degree in architecture
at The University of Michigan and then
immediately on to graduate school to
get her master’s in architecture. She
aspires to become a license architect
and work in a firm designing homes.
Born and raised in sunny Colorado, she
moved east after high school in pursuit
of becoming an architect. Similar
to the distinguished Ace of Cakes,
she plans on starting a firm with my
trusted allies where we will design
ridiculous structures and sell them
for an obscene amount of money in
order to pay off looming school debt.
New to the traveling business, she was
undoubtedly longing for the comforts
of home. A relentless (and successful)
search of Dr. Pepper, and a 600 pound
shipment of assorted American candies
and Original Recipe beef jerky was a
sure fix. Beyond architecture, Catie
likes to think of herself as a sarcastic
practitioner, an amateur cartoonist,
a part-time movie- quoter and a
professional procrastinator.

statement
Let’s talk friche. It’s an odd term to define. Wasteland is close.
Neglected territory. Abandoned site. Close, again. But much too
melancholic. Too weighty, too penitent. Friche is more playful,
more optimistic. Dare we say, liberating? More to the point:
friche is an ideology. It assumes that we can romp with abandon,
move fast, transform, hijack and subvert when space is rendered
less precious, less auratic.
A friche site, appropriated or new, begins with an understanding
of its physical and cultural parameters, followed by the
assumption that things will change. New programs will emerge.
Cultural and economic shifts will take place. In this scenario, the
architect is released from the post of dogmatic creator. In the
friche model the collective, the vernacular, the partial, and the
idiosyncratic triumph, with the self-conscious understanding
that these logics will also be displaced over time.
cover photo Brittany Gacsy
Last spring we traveled to France for second time to study the
friche phenomenon. We looked at the tactical appropriation of
marginal sites for public function. And we explored ways in
which ideas from friche projects could infiltrate a variety of sites
and typologies. We discovered that friche has grown up. That an
entire cadre of architects had abstracted and applied the lessons
of appropriation to architecture and urban design projects
on virgin sites. That notions of flexibility, material economy,
blurred boundaries, and the tactical use of architecture as
catalyst could find applications across the discipline. We
investigated the most important examples of what we now
termed the Meta Friche. And in conversations with the architects,
landscape architects, scenographers, politicians, and artists
involved in the design and implementation of these design
strategies, we speculated how the ideology of friche could be
brought home. These are the field notes, thoughts, and dialogue.
CREATIVE DIRECTION
Steven Christensen | Jean Louis
Farges | Anya Sirota
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Bruce Findling
DIRECTING MANAGER
Brittany Gacsy
VJ COLLABORATIVE
Christopher Reznich
Virginia Black
FASHION EDITOR
Virginia Black
CONTRIBUTING
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Virginia Black
Melissa Bonfil
Peyton Coles
Joseph Filippelli
Brittany Gacsy
Christopher Reznich
Michael Sanderson
Jeeeun Ham
Jennifer Komorowski
Kyung Jin Hong
Jordan Johnson
Brian Muscat
Catherine Truong
GUEST ARTIST
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Marie Combes
Patrick Renaud
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Virginia Black
Melissa Bonfil
Peyton Coles
Joseph Filippelli
Brittany Gacsy
Christopher Reznich
Michael Sanderson
Jeeeun Ham
Jennifer Komorowski
Kyung Jin Hong
Jordan Johnson
Brian Muscat
Ash Thomas
Catherine Truong
COMMUNICATIONS
Virgnia Black
Brttany Gascy
PARTICIPANTS AND
LECTURERS
Franklin Azzi
Patrick Beaucé
Raphaele Billé
Nicolas Bonnenfant
Gaelle Breton
Patrick Bouchain
Thomas Cantin
Julien Choppin
Marie Combes
Nicola Delon
Chloé Dragna
Natacha Guillaumont
Edouard François
Wilfrid Lelou
Pierre Oudart
Frédéric Péchereau
Christophe Ponceau
Patrick Renaud
TECHNICAL CONSULTANT
Anais Farges
SPECIAL THANKS
Center for Research on Learning
and Teaching, University of
Michigan
The International Institute
Experiential Learning Fund,
University of Michigan
Magellan Properties, Ann Arbor
Taubman College of Architecture
+ Urban Planning
All content © 2012
Civic Friche
All rights reserved.
>>more@ civicfriche.com

PETIT BAIN
STILLS MELISSA BONFIL + BRIAN
MUSCAT
P E T I T B A I N I S A C U R I O U S L I T T L E
B A R G E C O M M I S S I O N E D B Y T H E
N O N - P RO F I T G RO U P G U I N G E T T E
P I R A R E . I T R E C E N T LY D O C K E D O N
T H E Q U A I O F T H E S E I N E I N F RO N T
O F T H E F R A N C E ’ S D I S T I N G U I S H E D
B I B L I O T H È Q U E N AT I O N A L
FRANÇOIS MITTERRAND.
Pe t i t B a i n , a p i e c e o f f l o a t i n g c u l t u r a l
i n f r a s t r u c t u r e d e s i g n e d o n a s k i n n y b u d g e t b y
N i c o l a s D e l o n a n d J u l i e n C h o p p i n o f E n c o r e
Heureux, is equipped with a concert hall,
multimedia studio, restaurant, bar, office,
t e r r a c e , a n d v e g e t a b l e g a r d e n . T h e p r o g r a m
i s d u a l . Ye s , t h e r e i s l e i s u r e . H e r e y o u c a n
dance, or learn to dance, eat, draw, garden,
a n d fi x y o u r b i c y c l e . Yo u c a n l i s t e n t o s l a m
a n d m u s i c . Yo u c a n w a t c h s w i m m e r s w o r k o n
t h e i r b r e a s t s t r o k e i n t h e f l o a t i n g p o o l n e x t
d o o r. B u t , t h e n , t h e r e i s e n t e r p r i s e . T h e Pe t i t
B a i n p r ov i d e s t r a i n i n g a n d a s s i s t a n c e t o a
l a b o r fo r c e i n t r a n s i t i o n , e a s i n g r e i n s e r t i o n
i n t o a n u n a p o l o g e t i c a l l y c o m p e t i t i v e e c o n o m i c
l a n d s c a p e . I n t h e p a s t , G u i n g e t t e P i r a r e
h a d u s e d r e f u r b i s h e d b a r g e s fo r t h e h y b r i d
c u l t u r a l a n d e c o n o m i c p r o g r a m m i n g . B u t a s
their project took on a more permanent logic,
t h e y s e c u r e d f u n d i n g fo r a n e w h o m e . T h e
floating cultural venue is an upgrade and a
m e t a - a p p r o p r i a t i o n i n a n o d e t o t h e a g e n c y ’s
fo r m e r m o d e o f o r g a n i z a t i o n . P l u s , t h e y e l l ow
is perfect.
12

encore
heureux
build
a dive
bar(ge)

interview
16

LAB LABANQUE
BETHUNE
INTERVIEW WITH PATRICK BEAUCÉ
____
CONVERSATION WITH ANYA SIROTA
PHOTOGRAPHY KYUNG JIN HONG AND
JEAN LOUIS FARGES
more @ lab-labanque.fr

Repurposing of vacated industrial
space for use by the
visual art sector has, in the past
decades, become conventional, often
officialized urban practice. Galleries,
artist-run spaces, and museums have
eagerly traded the antiseptic white
display box for the auratic patina of
productive grunge.

Ar t i n s t i t u t i o n s h a v e
e n t h u s i a s t i c a l ly
m o r p h e d i n t o
a r t f a c t o r i e s,
s y m b o l i c a l ly
blurring modes of
c o n s u m p t i o n a n d
p r o d u c t i o n , l e i s u r e a n d w o r k , w h i l e
plugging into a collective fascination
w i t h p e r f o r m at i v e p r o c e s s e s.
B u t w h at a b o u t m o r e c o n t e m p o r a r y o r
m o r e u n a p o l o g e t i c a l ly b a n a l d e t r i t u s ?
What about buildings with dubious
historic appeal, those lacking riveted
t r u s s e s, m o n u m e n t a l s c a l e , a n d t h e
c h i m e r i c a l ly m e l a n c h o l i c at m o s p h e r e
that makes the post-industrial so
u n c o m f o r t a b ly t a n t a l i z i n g ? C a n
p r o s a i c s i t e s s t i l l c a vo r t m i s c h i e vo u s ly
w i t h m o r e u r b a n e a n d p r o m i s c u o u s
cultural appropriations?
For Patrique Beaucé, co-founder of
O b j e c t i l a n d a s s o c i at e p r o f e s s o r at
t h e E c o l e S u p é r i e u r e d e s B e a u x - A r t s
de Valenciennes, the answer is an
i n d e f at i g a b l e Ye s. Fo r t h e p a s t ye a r,
B e a u c é h a s h e a d e d T h e A p a r t m e n t , a
r e s e a r c h i n i t i at i v e a n d i n s t a l l at i o n
p r o j e c t i n B e t h u n e ’ s L A B L A B A N QU E .
A former branch of the Bank of
F r a n c e , w h i c h d r a i n e d o f i t s o r i g i n a l
p r o g r a m f o l l o w i n g t h e s u b s t i t u t i o n
o f t h e F r e n c h f r a n c b y t h e E u r o, h a s
b e e n t r a n s f o r m e d i n a c e n t e r f o r t h e
production and dissemination of visual
a r t s. T h e e a r ly 1 9 t h c e n t u r y b u i l d i n g
P a t r i c k B e a u c é , a d e s i g n e r
and visual artist, was born
in Bretagne, France. He is a
graduate of the Ecole des Beaux-
Arts de Rennes and Nîmes. In
collaboration with Bernard Cache,
B e a u c é i s a fo u n d i n g p a r t n e r o f
t h e L a b o r a t o r y o f A r c h i t e c t u r e
a n d D e s i g n , O b j e c t i l e . H i s
c o n s t r u c t e d a n d s p e c u l a t i v e w o r k
fo c u s e s o n a d v a n c e d t e c h n i q u e s
i n d i g i t a l f a b r i c a t i o n a n d m a s s
c u s t o m i z a t i o n . P a t r i c k B e a u c é
lives in Paris and is a professor
at the Ecole Supérieure des
Beaux-Arts de Valenciennes.

i s t i d y a n d u n a s s u m i n g w i t h i n u r b a n
c o n t e x t . I n s i d e , t h e b a n k ’ s s p at i a l
a n d s t r u c t u r a l l o g i c s h a v e b e e n l e f t
u n t o u c h e d : t h e o f f i c e , t h e v a u l t , t h e
a r c h i v e s, a n d t h e b a n k m a n a g e r ’ s
d o m e s t i c s p a c e p l ay f u l ly p r e s e r v e d i n
the condition in which they were found
5 ye a r s a g o.
It is here that Patrick Beaucé’s work,
developed in conjunction with art
and design students at the ESBAV,
reflects on key issues related to
c o n t e m p o r a r y l i v i n g t h r o u g h a n a ly s i s
a n d e x p e r i m e n t at i o n . T h e s p e c u l at i v e
p r o t o t y p e s o n d i s p l ay at T h e
Apartment tackle the social, cultural,
e c o n o m i c , s p at i a l a n d e n v i r o n m e n t a l
p a r a m e t e r s e m b e d d e d i n q u e s t i o n s
o f d o m e s t i c s p a c e , a n d e n v i s i o n
alternate as well as future modes
of segmentation, distribution and
o p p o r t u n i s t i c a l l i a n c e .
AS: Your research deals with
individuation, mass customization
a n d t h e p o t e n t i a l f o r f u n c t i o n a l
r e a l i g n m e n t s i n d o m e s t i c o p e r at i o n s.
How did you first start working on the
Apartment Project at Lab Labanque?
P B : T h e i d e a f o r t h e a p a r t m e n t
project grew out of collaborative
d e s i r e o f b o t h s t u d e n t s a n d
i n s t r u c t o r s i n t h e 5 t h ye a r D e s i g n
S c h o o l o f A r t a n d D e s i g n i n
Va l e n c i e n n e s t o wo r k o n c o n c r e t e
p r o j e c t s a n d t o a c t u a l l y r e a l i z e
t h e m .
O u r f i r s t s t e p wa s t o e s t a bl i s h
r e l a t i o n s h i p s a n d b u i l d p a r t n e r s h i p s
with local manufacturers, to
m e r g e i n t e r e s t s i n i n d u s t r i a l
m a n u f a c t u r i n g , a r t i s a n a l p r o d u c t i o n
a n d d e s i g n . W h a t w e a r e h o p i n g
t o d o i s t o r e i m a g i n e t h e e n t i r e
m a n u f a c t u r i n g p r o c e s s , a n d
u l t i m a t e l y, t o m a ke n e w t e c h n o l o g i e s
and manufacturing techniques
available to everyone.
AS: Tell us a little about the current
installation.
P B : T h e p r o j e c t wa s l a u n c h e d a t
L a b - L a b a n q u e B e t h u n e wh e r e t h e
f i r s t c o l l e c t i o n o f o b j e c t s a n d
d e s i g n c o n c e p t s wa s p r e s e n t e d a s
p a r t o f a n e ve r- e vo l v i n g e x h i b i t i o n

t i t l e d , “ T h e a p a r t m e n t , a m e t a p h o r
f o r t h e wo r l d . ” T h e c u r r e n t B e t h u n e
2 0 1 1 c o l l e c t i o n f e a t u r e s o b j e c t s
r e l a t i n g t o d o m e s t i c s p a c e , a n d
r e f l e c t s o n t h e a t t i t u d e s a n d a c t i o n s
adopted by individuals inhabiting
s p a c e . T h e s p e c u l a t ive o b j e c t s t h a t
a r e o f p a r t i c u l a r i n t e r e s t a r e t h o s e
that engage issues of performance
a n d i n d u s t r i a l r e m n a n t s a s a n
o r g a n i z a t i o n a l p a r a d i g m , a s w e l l
a s t h e a e s t h e t i c s e n s i b i l i t y o f t h e
wo r k . W h a t t h e p r o j e c t s a l s o h a ve i n
c o m m o n i s t h a t t h e m a n u f a c t u r i n g
c o s t s a r e ke p t t o a m i n i m u m . S o
the challenge is to conceive of
projective, opportunistic design,
using inventive, but humble means.
A S : B y w h at p r o c e s s d o t h e s t u d e n t s
e x p e r i m e n t w i t h n e w m o d e s o f d e s i g n
a n d i n h a b i t at i o n ? I s t h i s a s i t e s p e c i f i c
p r o j e c t ? D o e s i t r e l at e t o t h e a r t i s a n a l
a n d m a n u f a c t u r i n g r e s o u r c e s i n t h e
immediate region?
P B : H e r e w e a r e e x p e r i m e n t i n g w i t h
several modes of fabrication. But
a g a i n t h e p a r a l l e l b e t w e e n p r o j e c t s
t e n d s t o b e a c o n c e r n w i t h t h e
intelligent deployment of simple,
a f f o r d a bl e m a t e r i a l s , i n o t h e r wo r d s ,
we try to limit the quantity of
materials used. For most of these
o b j e c t s , t h e a s s e m bly i s i n t u i t ive ,
u s i n g i n t e r l o c k i n g f a s t e n e r s a n d
other simple techniques.

B u t m o r e i m p o r t a n t l y, t h e r e a r e
t wo r e a s o n s why my t e a c h i n g a n d
design research interrogate these
m o d e s o f p r o d u c t i o n , t h e n a t u r e a n d
c o n d i t i o n s o f t h a t w e f i n d o u r s e l ve s
i n wh e n w e c o n s i d e r t h e f a b r i c a t i o n
o f t h e o b j e c t s t h a t s u r r o u n d a n d
e n g a g e u s .
T h e f i r s t i s t h a t t h e r e i s a p r e s s i n g
m o r a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o c o n s i d e r t h e
f u l l r a n g e o f a c t s a n d c o n s e q u e n c e s
b e h i n d e ve r y d e s i g n . T h e s e c o n d i s
t h a t wo r k h a s b e c o m e r a r i f i e d i n o u r
society.
We c a n o b s e r ve t h i s p h e n o m e n o n
i n t e c h n i c a l d e ve l o p m e n t s a n d
mechanization. More and more
s t r e a m l i n e d m o d e s o f p r o d u c t i o n
c o n t i n u e t o m a ke s m a l l e r a m o u n t s
o f h u m a n l a b o r n e e d e d t o p r o d u c e
g o o d s . A n d , o f c o u r s e , w e c o n t i n u e
to witness the relocation of
m a n u f a c t u r i n g g o o d s t o c o u n t r i e s
with low labor costs. Faced
w i t h t h i s wo r r y i n g c o n d i t i o n ,
anxious politicians advocate reindustrialization.
S o w e c a n s e e l a b o r i s s u e s
crossing into the territories of
h e t e r o g e n e o u s r e a l i t i e s : a e s t h e t i c s ,
invention, technology, economics,
society, politics, history, geography.
Our goal, therefore, in fostering
t h e s e s p e c u l a t ive d e s i g n p r o p o s a l s
y o u s e e a t t h e A p a r t m e n t o f L a b
L a b a n q u e i s t o a t t e m p t e d t o a d d r e s s
t h e s e d i f f e r e n t d i m e n s i o n s i n
p r o d u c t i o n , l a b o r a n d d e s i g n a n d
t o b e g i n t o u n d e r s t a n d c e r t a i n
correlations between them. I n
the current project students were
i nv i t e d t o e x p e r i m e n t w i t h f ive
e d u c a t i o n a l p r o p o s a l s i n wh i c h
t h e n a t u r e o f wo r k , c o n d i t i o n s
f o r i t s e xe r c i s e w e r e s p e c i f i c
a n d m e a n i n g f u l . O u r a i m t o h a ve
students engage contemporary
practice first hand.
AS: There is something thoroughly
p e c u l i a r t h e b a n k a s a c u l t u r a l
i n s t i t i t u t i o n s. V i d e o i n s t a l l at i o n s
i n t h e v a u l t . D a n c e p a r t i e s i n t h e
a r c h i v e s. T h e m at e r i a l p a l e t t e l e f t
b e h i n d - r u g s, o r n a m e n t a l t i l e s,
c o u n t e r s – s e e m s t o e s s e n t i a l ly a s k
the visitor to occupy the space of

capital. Does this change the way
t h e p u b l i c i n t e r a c t s w i t h t h e s i t e
a n d i n s t a l l at i o n w o r k ? A n d f o r t h e
s t u d e n t s w o r k i n g o n t h e d e s i g n
p r o j e c t s i n t h e a p a r t m e n t s p a c e , d o e s
the site influence their interrogations?
e c o n o m i c c o n s t r a i n t s. A n d I f i n d t h e
d e s s o n a n c e b e t w e e n t h e f o r m e r u s e a n d
t h e c u r r e n t p r o p o s a l s e x c e p t i o n a l ly
p r o d u c t i v e . To i m a g i n e a n a l t e r n at e
domestic realm within an outmoded
o n e i s a c o m p e l l i n g d e i s g n p r o b l e m .
P B : I t i s c e r t a i n ly a v e r y u n u s u a l
approproriation project - Lab
Labanque - with a very distinct logic.
I a m p a r t i c u l a r ly s t r u c k b y t h e q u a l i t y
o f t h e a p a r t m e n t . I t b e l o n d e d t o t h e
b a n k m a n a g e r, s o h e l i v e d j u s t a b o v e
the bank with his family. The scale of
t h e d o m e s t i c s p a c e i s p h e n o m e n a l . A n d
w o r k i n g i n t h i s a p a r t m e n t f o r e f r o n t s
s h i f t s i n s o c i o - e c o n o m i c c o n d i t i o n s
over time. We ask students to
i n v e s t i g at e t h e s p a c e i n c o n t e m p o r a r y
scales, with a very real set of

FICHTRE!
S T I L L S V I R G I N I A B L A C K , B R I T TA N Y
GACSY, CHRIS REZNICH
In the five short years since creating
Fi c h t r e ! Fr é d é r i c Pé c h e r e a u , T h o m a s
C a n t i n a n d W i l f r i d L e l o u h av e
s u b s t a n t i a t e d a p r a c t i c e t h a t r ev e l s i n
the ascendency of the micro, the direct,
the unfussy, the STILLS urban, the BRITTANY collective, GASCY + CHRIS
a n d t h e h u m b l y REZNICH/ t r a n s fo r m a t iTEXT v e . Fo r BRITTANY t h i s GASCY
c o l l a b o r a t i v e , c r a f t d e fi e s n o s t a l g i a
fo r a r t i s a n a l f a b r i c a t i o n a n d e n t e r s t h e
realm of exploration and immediacy.
H e r e a n y g i v e n i n t e r v e n t i o n u n fo l d s
f r o m p r o t o t y p e t o fi n a l a s s e m b l y a s
a continuous design process. The
r e s u l t i s a c o l l e c t i o n o f c o n s t r u c t i o n s
a n d i n s e r t i o n s , b o t h p e r m a n e n t a n d
ephemeral, which no matter how small,
i n v a r i a b l y e x p l o r e t h e v e r y n a t u r e o f
public space and how it asserts itself
in the city.
Fichtre ! builds mobile furnishings,
rolling shops, objects and installations.
Fr é d é r i c , T h o m a s a n d W i l f r e d s t a g e
ev e n t s a n d a r t h a p p e n i n g s . T h e y
p l a y m u s i c a l i n s t r u m e n t s . T h e y u s e
c i r c u l a r s aw s a n d e l e c t r i c d r i l l s . T h e i r
i n t e r v e n t i o n s c a n n o t b e c o n f u s e d w i t h
s i t e s p e c i fi c a r t w o r k s o f t h e l e a n
y e a r s . N o r i s t h e i r p r o j e c t a n i r o n i c
distillation of spatial experience. If
w e d a r e t o c o n j u r e u p t h e n o t i o n o f
l i b e r t y, t h e n p e r h a p s t h e i r p l a y f u l
work seeks to impart the same nonauthoritarian
pleasures that form
t h e v e r y l o g i c b e h i n d t h e i r ow n
collaborative practice.
>> more @ fichtre.org

25

>> IN 2009 FICHTRE!
C O M P L E T E D A N U N R O L L I N G
G I F T S H O P F O R L I E U U N I Q U E
IN NANTES

28

< < F I C H T R E ! S T R E E T
FURNISHINGS OUTSIDE
ALSTON HALL. TES

un œil
unique

A M O N S T E R H I D D E N I N T H E F O R E S T O F
M I L LY L A F O R Ê T O F F E R S I N S I G H T I N T O
T H E P O W E R O F C O L L A B O R A T I O N A N D
P R E S E N T S A M I R R O R T O R E F L E C T U P O N
OUR OWN OCCASIONAL INHUMANITY
STORY BY BRIAN MUSCAT / IMAGES BY JEEEUN HAM, CATIE
TRUONG, BRITTANY GACSY + STEVEN CHRISTENSEN

f
ifty miles south of Paris,
outside the city of Milly-la-
Forêt, a colossal and enigmatic
monster lies hidden in the thick
woods. Under the care of Swiss
sculptor Jean Tinguely and his
wife Niki de Saint Phalle, this 75-
foot, 350 ton giant grew in near secrecy
over a span of 30 years.
Truly a collaborative installation, Le Cyclope
incorporates the work of several of
Tinguely’s contemporaries, including Seppi
Imhof, Bernhard Luginbuhl, Rico Weber,
Niki deSaint Phalle, Daniel Spoerri,
Arman, Cesar, Jean-Pierre Raynaud, Eva
Aeppli, Jesus Rafael Soto and Larry Rivers.
While some were involved with the project
from the early concept stage, others joined
the project mid-stream, allowing the constraints
that the half-completed structure
presented to inform their site-specific installations.
Tinguely and his collective wrested this
monumental sculpture out of literally
hundreds of tons of new and reclaimed
steel, stone, concrete, mirrors, and ceramic
mosaic. The complexity of the work resists
artistic compartmentalization, with

elements of Dada, New Realism, Kinetic
Art, and Art Brut.
Beyond the structure’s formidable iron
door, a labyrinth of stairs allows visitors to
explore the innards of the beast. Inside, the
entire thing is like a stage set, with many
theatrical elements and moving objects. A
series of basketball-sized steel balls run
in tracks throughout Le Cyclope, passing
over gears and mechanisms along the way,
bringing this 350 ton monster to life.
As you walk to the back of the beast’s head,
you are confronted by his most shocking
element. Here, on a pair of tracks cantilevering
off of the monster’s skull and towering
seventy feet above the forest floor, is
a salvaged Polish railroad car used during
World War II to carry people to the concentration
camps. This painful reminder
of the horrors of the holocaust acts as a
warning against the monstrous potential
of humankind.
Completed after Tinguely’s death, this
monument to contemporary sculpture acts
as a memorial to his vision, while offering
specific commemorations to four other artists
who passed away during its construction:
Marcel Duchamp, Yves Klein, Louise
Nevelson, and Kurt Schwitters. This sculpture
is a gem, hidden from view, ready to
show its many secrets.

En Travaillant dans la foret, nous
W o r k i n g i n t h e f o r e s t , w e d r e a m
r e v o n s a u n e u t o p i e e t a u n e a c t i o n
o f a u t o p i a a n d a n a c t i o n w i t h o u t
s a n s l i m i t e ( c ’ e s t i l l u s o i r e j e l e
boundaries (it’s illusory, I know),
s a i s ) e t n o t r e a t t i t u d e e s t c e l l e d e
a n d o u r a t t i t u d e i s o n e o f R e s e a r c h
l a R e c h e r c h e d e l ’ A c t e G r a t u i t e t
i n t o F r e e a n d N o n - U t i l i t a r i a n
I n u t i l e . E t n o u s s o m m e s t r e s h e u r e u x
A c t s . A n d w e a r e v e r y h a p p y l i k e
c o m m e c a , p o u r v u q u e p e r s o n n e n e
t h i s , a s l o n g a s n o o n e p r e v e n t s u s
n o u s e m p e c h e d e t r a v a i l l e r ( c o m m e
from working (like crazy - it goes
des fous - ca va de soi) - Jean Tinguely
without saying) - Jean Tinguely

Kapoor’s
Leviathan lands
Each year the french ministry of culture
invites a leading artist to create a work in
response to the exceptional architectural
space and scale of the Grand Palais in
Paris. Originally constructed for the 1900
universal exhibition, the soring 13,5000
m2 central nave of the Grand Palais
provides the inspiration for a project
idea: Monumenta. This spring, Anish
Kapoor unveiled a temporary, site-specific
emersive environment. Richie Hawtin, a
legendary DJ, was invited for a concert
to bring the installation to a close. Prior
to the closing party, Kapoor visited his
work and engaged in a conversation with
Hawtin about art, improvisation, and
atmosphere.
/ conversation with Anish Kapoor and Richie Hawtin
transcribed from the Creators Project / photography
Jeeeun Ham / Jen Komorowski / Steven Christensen /
38

@ Grand Palais

40
Kapoor: I think that is one of the great things about
the arts in general, is that they are very good at intimacy.
It’s saying come and be part of this, you know,
come and take part and it’s absolutely about being
invited in to the special place or the special sound, or
whatever it is.
Hawtin: Living in a world of headphones and
speakers and working on ideas that you can’t see,
the visual arts have been an incredible godsend or
area of inspiration. Being able to stand in front of a
painting or to walk around through an installation
or around an object gives me a sense of dimension
and place for the sonic ideas that I’m working on in
the studio.
Kapoor: It’s also a really interesting relationship
between performing, I mean I see sculpture as a
performative, not always but often, as a performative
art in a way. It requires the viewer to perform at one
level. For me anyway, in the studio it is completely
about improvisation. It’s completely about the first
idea is as good as the second idea or maybe better.
First idea, best idea. Go for it and it’s that moment!
That’s a kind of improvisation in a way. But of
course you take that to a different place don’t you?
Hawtin: I’m very good at spur of the moment. At
that time in the mid-nineties, 95, 96, I was really
trying to push my own sound forward and was
trying to understand what sounds to use and where
to place them in physical space to get the depth that
I was looking for. It was around that time I luckily
happened upon your work and it gave me a way to
kind of physically feel the depth and dimensions
that I was trying to reach for sonically. That’s why
there was always a really direct connection.
Kapoor: I remember that album very very well. I
also felt exactly the same. That sense that somehow
you had gotten a sound in it that was really really
deep. I thought that really very very strong.
Kapoor: It is a terrifying space in that that it’s too
big, too high and has too much light. That’s a guaranteed
killer of things. Laughs. I did a very simple
thing with it, I made myself a model this big and

when you make a model this big you don’t have to
worry about any of those problems. I tried to deal
with it conceptually. I’ve been really interested in
glove-like forms, forms that are one thing from this
end and then another thing as you turn them inside
out. That’s just what the piece is trying to do.
Hawtin: Many of your pieces have sonic qualities,
they’re bending and-
Kapoor: Well you know I’m really interested in
concave, negative forms. So a negative form, just
because of the nature and the physics of it, does
strange things with sound. It focuses sound, first
of all. It throws it back at you. Convex forms, you
know, sounds bounces off but concave ones concentrate.
I like that idea a lot. Not that it’s even been a
primary motive of mine but what the eyes do and
what the ears do are not that different from each
other. They both respond to these sorts of focused
moments.
Hawtin: You have one great advantage over my
situation, you can make a model and do that with an
organic or a structure but with sound it would be
very hard for me to put my head in a small model,
first of all, or get any kind of idea on how the
frequencies are going to bounce around here. And
so the same problems, the height and the metallic
structure is going to play havoc with certain type of
frequencies so that’s what I’m learning today. What
I can actually do, what’s going to sound right and
also where we’re going to place sound and feel.
Kapoor: So tell me are you looking for moments
of purity? Are you looking for moments that are
singular?
Hawtin: There are going to be all these people
moving around and hopefully, at certain moments,
bridging into that moment where they‘re stop in
their tracks, physically, sonically and something
wonderful happens. That’s the moment we’re searching
for, I hope.
Kapoor: I’m sure that at a very simple level, a sonic
atmosphere changes the meaning of the thing,
however temporarily, but it does change the meaning
of the thing, I’m pretty sure it does. I have no
doubt that music under blue light is quite different
from music under red light, the same music, I have
no doubt. One’s whole sense of where one’s body is,
what space one’s mind is in changes through these
very simple phenomenal realities.
Hawtin: Kapoor’s work is always physical. Every
experience I’ve had with an Anish Kapoor is a sense
of bewilderment and losing myself. Whether his
pieces are large or small, they play with the sense of
dimension and space and for lack of a better word;
you kind of get sucked in.
Kapoor: I often find that when I go to concerts, if
I listen to the piece of music first on a recording, I
will either agree or disagree with what’s happening
because it will inevitably be different, but there is
away in which I’ve kind of made it into my inner
world. That’s a really important process and all
these electronic media of course give us the huge
freedom to become part of other people’s inner
worlds.
more @ thecreatorsproject.com

46

BASE
CAMP
BELLEVILLE
/ TEXT BY JORDAN JOHNSON / PHOTOS BY
JORDAN JOHNSON / JEAN LOUIS FARGES/
BY jORDAN joHNSON//
Clinging to a vertiginous cliff face in the 20th
arrondissement’s Parc de Belleville is a curious
playground. Here, all vestiges of absorbent wood
chips, spongy rubber mats, and safety cords have been
banished. In place of the friendly, litigation avoidant
materials one would expect of a proper childhood
concourse, BASE (build a super environment) deploys
bare concrete, timber pylons, and shards of steel.
Seeing it for the first time makes even well-conditioned
urbanites want to immediately don a helmet and knee
pads. In the absence of monkey bars and swings, one
encounters something that is an abstracted combination
44
of fortress and ship, punctured by hidden tunnels, sound
scoops, obstacles, and sudden drops. A network of ropes
encourages children to scale an impossibly angled
wooden wall. A concealed slide spits them out at top
speeds questionably close to a vertical circulation path.

The result is a space which allows the imagination
to wander. No gesture is prescribed. No signage. No
warnings. Every surface flexibly conceived for a myriad
of possible appropriations. Some slopes are high jacked
by parents sunbathing. Others are transformed into
imaginary universes for risk-inclined toddlers and
tweens. Since its inauguration in 2008, this €1.1 million
public project has been flocked. And not a single accident,
not even a nosebleed, reported.
At the top of the climb there is payoff: a playhouse and
an exceptional view of the city. If you squint hard you can
imagine a view beyond the banlieu.
The architects at B.A.S. E. describe the project as
a progressive reconceptualization of public space in
the city. In their own words: A large part of the story
of urbanism is based on the expression “view over
the park”, allowing the development of new districts
associated with urban parks or public garden, spaces of
representation open on the city. Nowadays some of these
parks deserve to be redesigned, while others are being
created through new or urban renewal programs, all of
them being adapted to the new contemporary customs
in permanent changes. The idea of natural background
stands out here as it integrates the entirety of what
makes the living world (weather, geography, plants
and humans altogether) in a sensitive way in order to
introduce lush and progressive spaces. The programmatic
dimension plays an important role too. These natural
spaces that can stay for a major part undetermined
(lawns, afforestations), deserve most of the time some
specific and contemporary proposals such as meeting,
game or sports amenities catering to a larger audience.
They entitle the urban parks as a public and shared
space and open the way to what would look just like a
landscape.
more @ baseland.fr

49

50

three
ports
<a photographic essay>
OUR TRAVELS THROUGH NANTES,
LYO N , A N D M A R S E I L L E G AV E U S T H E
C H A N C E T O S E E T H R E E R A D I C A L LY
D I F F E R E N T A N S W E R S T O A S I N G L E
Q U E S T I O N : H O W D O E S T H E C I T Y
R E C L A I M I T S U R B A N P O R T O N C E
T H E I N D U S T RY I T O N C E S E R V E D
H A S D I S A P P E A R E D ?
S T I L L S / J O E ( Y ) F I L I P P E L L I / J E N N I F E R
KOMOROWSKI / BRIAN MUSCAT /
ANYA SIROTA / JEAN LOUIS FARGES /

52

nantes
The Ile de Nantes is part of a large urban renewal
project launched in 1999 under the direction of
l a n d s c a p e a r c h i t e c t a n d u r b a n p l a n n e r, A l ex a n d r e
Chemetoff’s. His process is known as the Plan Guide,
a n d i s w i d e l y r e g a r d e d a s a r a d i c a l l y p r o g r e s s i v e
method of responsive urban development. Management
of the project is overseen by SAMOA (Development
Corporation of Metropolitan West Atlantic). Since
July 2010 the project has been transfered to a team
of architects from Marcel Smets3.

Les Anneaux by Daniel Buren and Patrick
Bouchain on the bank of the Loire River
leeding to the Hangar à Bananes.

lyon
Lyo n ’s C o n f l u e n c e i s t h e b i g g e s t u r b a n
d eve l o p m e n t p r o j e c t c u r r e n t l y u n d e r
construction in France and is arguably one
o f t h e b i g g e s t i n E u r o p e . Wo r k b e g a n i n
2 0 0 3 a n d i s c u r r e n t l y e n t e r i n g i t s s e c o n d
phase. When completed, the Confluence with
more than double the size of Lyon’s historic
c i t y c e n t e r w i t h t h e a d d i t i o n o f 3 7 0 a c r e s o f
real estate. Coop Himmelb(l)au’s Musee des
Confluences is scheduled to open in 2014.

57

Phase 2 of the Lyon Confluence project has
j u s t b e g u n a n d w i l l b e ov e r s e e n by l a n d s c a p e r
D e s v i g n e a n d S w i s s a r c h i t e c t s H e r z o g a n d d e
Meuron through its completion in 2020.

60

marseille
Launched in 1995, the Euromediterranee programme is set
on transforming a 775-acre swathe of Marseille into a new
e c o n o m i c a t t r a c t o r d i s t r i c t . T h e p r o j e c t e f f e c t i v e l y a i m s t o
develop an entire new city within Marseille. 300,000sqm is
earmarked for new and restored offices in the Joliette district,
at a location between the port and city centre. La Belle de
M a i w i l l p r ov i d e t h e l a r g e s t E u r o p e a n a u d i ov i s u a l / m u l t i m e d i a
precinct in Marseille, where thousands of new homes are under
c o n s t r u c t i o n , t o g e t h e r w i t h a n ew E u r o m e d c o nv e n t i o n c e n t r e
and a marina.

/ TEXT BY JOE(Y) FILIPPELLI / PHOTOS
JEN KOMOROWSKI / BRITTANY GASCY /
JEAN LOUIS FARGES /

LE FRESNOY, O R
H O W T O C R O S S
O V E R T H E I N
BETWEEN
At Le Fresnoy I wanted to extend the notion
of crossover by combining old and new. I first
decided to keep parts of the old buildings
already on the site that were slated to
be demolished... The in-between was not
composition, it wasn’t design; it was pure
concept.
- Bernard Tschumi
63

64

In the sleepy French suburb of Tourcoing,
20 kilometers north of Lille,
a mysterious form hovers tenuously
above the rooftops like an alien space
craft. This techno-fetishist canopy
joins and transforms a defunct complex
of century-old buildings into a
cutting-edge home for Le Fresnoy, one
of Europe’s most elite trans-disciplinary
cultural academies.
Originally a 1920s leisure complex,
this cluster of buildings offered such
pleasures as swimming, skating, cinema,
ballroom dancing, and horseback
riding. Reskinned and reassembled
by Bernard Tschumi, the complex
is now home to 8,000 square meters
of school, library, sound and video
production studios, exhibition space,
offices, a bar/restaurant, and apartments.
Impressive as this programmatic
feat may be, Tschumi’s primary
invention at Le Fresnoy is his unconventional
approach to the reappropriation
of this challenging site.
The relatively out-of-the-way site is
actually well-suited to Le Fresnoy’s
cosmopolitan aspirations: a mere two
hours from Amsterdam and London,
one hour from Paris, the city of Tourcoing
acts as an unlikely but strategic
hub. The fragile state of the site’s existing
buildings presented a significant
architectural dilemma. A painstaking
restoration of the existing buildings
would have far exceeded the budget
of this fledgling institution, but to
demolish and start from scratch
would decimate the unique character of
this unusual site. Tschumi’s innovative
proposition was to construct a new, hightech
“umbrella” over the site, protecting
the existing structures while housing new
mechanical and electrical systems and
producing a unique sequence of partially
enclosed spaces for performance and
inhabitation.
Tshumi’s grand gesture produces what is
essentially a succession of boxes inside a
box. Acting as the outer crust, the modern
canopy stands independently from the
original buildings and provides continuity
across the site’s disparate parts. It wraps
downward over the northern elevation
while leaving the sides open to allow
views to the existing context. On the
southern elevation, a new façade produces
a sense of transparency at the building’s
entrance. Beneath the monumentally
scaled canopy, the site’s original buildings
are minimally restored as hollow containers
for program to be inserted within.
Newly constructed and autonomous boxes
housing the more technically demanding
programs are then placed strategically
throughout these containers, allowing
occupants to move freely between them.
The scheme allows a relatively low degree
of programmatic density in the original
buildings, preserving the sense of scale
and openness that they originally possessed.
The “common denominator” in this
equation is the interstitial space created
under the new roof. It is the space where
the institution’s diverse programs are
physically and symbolically united. The
emphasis Tschumi puts on the space is
explicit: Like a giant tongue, the redcarpeted
grand exterior staircase is by far
the most dominant characteristic of the
front elevation, even trumping the glassy
main entrance. Ascending the stairs, you
reach a space flooded with light from
every direction. Large cloud-like perforations
in the new roof cast pools of light
on to historic roofs below, adding contrast
to the rigid high-tech structural aesthetic.
A maze of catwalks, stairs, and platforms
allow circulation amongst the aged roof
tiles of the existing buildings, while
producing spaces for casual interactions,
spontaneous performances, or collaborative
installations.
Tschumi describes Le Fresnoy as “architecture
event” rather than an “architecture
object”, and the techniques he deploys
here render his theoretical approach
architecturally explicit. The project is a
phenomenal study of interstitial space,
and the ways in which architecture can
foster chance encounters and spontaneous
performance. Simultaneously, Le Fresnoy
offers a dramatic and unique case study in
the reappropriation of historic sites, demonstrating
that an innovative approach
to reuse can produce an outcome that is
economical, ecological, and magical.

open
doors
/ text by Jeeeun Ham / photography by Peyton Coles /Brittany
Gacsy / Jeeeun Ham / Jennifer Komorowski / Christopher
Reznich / Jean Louis Farges /
Commune de Paris poster in Belleville.

Demolished lots.
69

손에 들린 안내 지도도 사실은 필요없다. 사람들이 모여있는 곳으로, 혹은 발
길 닿는데로. 어느 골목이든 조금만 걸으면, 또 다른 어느 예술가의 작업실
이 있다.
파리에서 두달간 지내며 알게된 것. 좁은 골목길, 상점 사이사이 위치한 아파
트 출입문들. 나와 같은 이방인은 애써 찾아보지 않는다면 그냥 스쳐지나가기
십상인, 그들의 삶으로 통하는 문. 파리의 골목길은 실은 많은 아파트들로 채
워져 있지만, 그 뒤로 숨겨진 파리 시민 몇몇의 삶을 상상하기란 어렵다. 외부
인이 보편적 파리시민의 집을 구경하기란 사실 이렇게 어렵다. 온갖 관광명소
사이사이 교묘하게도 자신들만의 공간은 보여주지 않는다. 그런데 평소라면
비밀번호로 굳게 닫혀있을 문들이 살짝 열리는 있는 날이있다. 일년에 단 며
칠. 나도 – 모든 외부인들도 – 파리 시민이 어떻게 살고 있는지 그들의 삶 속
으로 들어가볼 수 있는 기회가 있다.
Guide map held in my hand is not really necessary. Just wandering
to wherever my foot-steps take me, to places where
people gather. Within a short walk, one can find another artists’
studio.
After two months in Paris I finally started to notice: mysterious
doors to apartment units squeezed between shops on narrow
alleyways. Strangers like me could easily miss them, these
doors leading to a Parisian’s life. Even though the streets are
filled with apartments like these, it is hard to imagine the life
hidden behind the doors.
Most visitors hardly have an opportunity to take a look at how
these average Parisians live in their own space. However, they
open their doors to the public just a few days a year, when I –
along with the other outsiders – have the opportunity to enter
into these spaces and see their lives.
Passage into Belleville Portes Ouvertes atelier.

이 날이면 벨빌지역의 골목 골목은 Ateliers d’Artists de Bellevill의 하
얀 깃발로 펄럭인다. 어서 자신들의 작업실로 들어와 자신들의 작품 한 번 구
경하라는 표지다. 열려진 문틈으로 들어가 그늘진 통로를 지나면, 놀랍게도 그
곳엔 강렬한 햇살이 내리쬐는 내부정원이 있다. 좁은 골목길 문 밖에서는 상상
할 수 없었던 내부 정원의 따사로운 고요함. 그 곳에서 잠시 멈춰 이 시간 나
에게 주어진 기회를 만끽한다. 그리고 화살표를 따라 어느 예술가의 작업실을
향해, 엘레베이터 대신 계단을 오르는 것이다. 2층이든 3층이든 4층이든.
이 행사가 열리는 벨빌 지역은 파리의 10, 11, 19, 20구에 걸쳐있으며, 많은
이민자들의 거주지다. 또한 세계 각지의 예술가들이 모여 자신들의 작업실 겸
거주지로 삼고 있는 곳이 기도 하다. 그리고 그들은 일년에 한 번 며칠간 자신
들의 작업실을 불특정 다수의 사람들에게 공개하는 이벤트를 주최한다. 아주
On these special days, white flags of Ateliers d’Artists de
Belleville - the organization of artists living in Belleville - are
fluttering on the alleys. These are the signs that welcome anyone
with wondering eyes into their studios.
After walking into the door and passing the shad¬ed corridor,
I come upon a surprise: a sun-drenched courtyard. I cannot
help but pause for a moment there and enjoy this chance to appreciate
the tranquility of the small courtyard that one could
not expect from the outside. I follow the arrows toward an artist’s
studio, skip the elevator; head for the stairs. Second floor,
third floor, fourth floor. . .
Belleville, where this event is held, is the area that lies in the
10th, 11th, 19th and 20th arrondissement of Paris, and over
time it has become the home to many immigrant families.
Likewise, artists have moved here from all over France and
Garden with installation, demolished lot.

아주 개 인적인 공간 - 그들의 작업실을 살펴보는 재미는 의외로 크다. 벨빌
여행기의 막바지는 오히려 그들의 작품에 대한 관심보다 각자 다른 그들의 공
간에 대한 호기심으로 움직였으니.
이 이벤트의 묘미는 지극히 개인적인 작업 공간을 축제의 공간으로 바꾸어버
리는 것이다. 초대된 이들은 벨빌의 골목골목을 마치 거대한 미술관을 거닐듯
자유로이 거닌다. 그러다 어느 마음드는 공간을 발견하면 그 예술가와 잠시 대
화도 나눌 수 있다. 스스로의 거주지를 축제의 장으로 만들어 버리는 이들의
이 자유로운 정신은 벨빌이 끊임없는 변화하는역동적 지역이 되도록 한다.
the world to form an artistic community. And once a year, for
a few days, they open their studios to the public, hosting the
untold number in their homes. Such highly personal spaces –
what an opportunity to be invited inside! While the art is often
interesting, the chance to peep into the private residences and
studios of the artists is what makes this journey through Belleville
irresistible.
The excitement of this event is the transformation of the
highly personal work space into a public festival place. Like
a giant open art museum, the entire city is invited to freely
explore the intimate spaces of Belleville. And when you
encounter work that captures your interest, you can chat oneon-one
with the artist. The free spirit of Belleville, that allows
for many private residential/work spaces to be assembled into
a single giant art festival, is what makes this one of the most
dynamic neighborhoods of Paris.
Residential courtyard with gallery spill over.

Residential courtyard wall.

Shared atelier converted into gallery

Detail.

Live work.

Franklin azzi,
halle alstom
+ productive
slack
/ Interview by Brittany Gacsy /
photos Brittany Gascy / Jeeeun
Ham / Christopher Reznich /
I n 2010, the Parisbased
firm Frankin Azzi
Architecture won a
competition to transform
the Alstom Halles b u i l d i n g
o n I l e d e N a n t e s i n t o a n e w c o l l e g e
of fine arts, the Ecole supérieure des
b e a u x - a r t s d e N a n t e s M é t r o p o l e . T h e
w i n n i n g p r o p o s a l a i m s t o p r o v i d e
g e n e r o u s p r a g m at i c , p r o d u c t i v e a n d
residual space for liberal appropriation
at multiple scales. A transparent
e n v e l o p e f r a m e d i n s t e e l f o r m s t h e
unconditioned container for three
levels of new program. insertions, or
what Franklin Azzi calls a ‘series of
organs’, function in both scripted and
undetermined ways, providing plenty of
s l a c k f o r o v e r f l o w a n d a d a p t at i o n . A t
s t r e e t l e v e l , t h e b u i l d i n g i s e n v i s i o n e d
a s p o r o u s, u n b o u n d , i t s c i r c u l at i o n
following the logic of an urban network
reconnecting the manufacturing district
t o t h e n e w d e v e l o p m e n t s a n d t h e o l d
city beyond. A hybrid Fun-Palaces
u p e r - s i z e d g r e e n h o u s e - u m b r e l l a ,
t h e p r o j e c t h a s p r o p e l l e d t h e yo u n g
practice onto France’s national stage.
I h a d t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o t a l k w i t h
the Franklin Azzi about his firm,
flexibility, modularity and slack.
B G : Yo u r o f f i c e o p e n e d i n 2 0 0 6 a s a o n e m a n
s h o p. Fa s t f o r wa r d t o 2 0 1 1 . Yo u h a ve wo n a
c o m p e t i t i o n t o b u i l d a 2 7 , 0 0 0 m 2 a r t s c h o o l
i n t h e h e a r t o f N a n t e s . Yo u h a ve g r ow n
p r a c t i c a l l y o ve r n i g h t f r o m a f i r m w i t h t wo
e m p l o ye e s t o a f i r m w i t h t w e n t y ? H a s t h i s
been a difficult transition?
FA : I h av e w o r k e d o n p r o j e c t s o f t h i s s c a l e b e fo r e ; I a m
able to handle this type of work. Having worked in large
firm prior to starting my own practice [Jean Nouvel],
I a m f a m i l i a r w i t h p r o j e c t s o f e x c e p t i o n a l s c a l e . To b e
h o n e s t , a r c h i t e c t u r e i s n o t s i m p l y a m a t t e r o f s c a l e . A
2 0 0 s q u a r e m e t e r s a n d a 2 0 , 0 0 0 s q u a r e m e t e r s p r o j e c t
takes the same amount of intelligence and energy. It
is just as complex to work out the idiosyncrasies and
r e q u i r e m e n t o f t h e p r o g r a m fo r a l a r g e s c a l e p r o j e c t a s i t
is for a small.

B G : N o w t h at yo u r f i r m i s g a i n i n g v i s i b i l i t y
a n d r e c o g n i t i o n , d o yo u i m a g i n e g r o w i n g e v e n
larger in the near future?
FA : A l a r g e fi r m o f 2 0 0 p e r s o n s i s a n A m e r i c a n fo r m
o f p r a c t i c e . I l i k e t h e s i z e w e a r e n ow, n o t t o o b i g , b u t
n o t t o o s m a l l . A t m o s t , I c a n i m a g i n e a d d i n g t e n m o r e
p e o p l e , b u t t h a t ’s i t . A n y m o r e i s w a y t o o m a n y. I w o u l d
r a t h e r h av e a fi r m o f t e n s t r o n g p e o p l e t h a n 2 0 0 av e r a g e
employees. I feel very confident in the team I have now,
I feel we are the right size. This size is the best way to
d o a r c h i t e c t u r e . Fi r m s o f 2 0 0 p e r s o n s a r e t o o l a r g e t o d o
good architecture. I never want to be this way. At least,
this is what I am telling you now. In ten years, we’ll see.
B G : Yo u r p r o j e c t i n N a n t e s, E S B A , b e l o n g s
t o a t y p o l o g i c a l l o g i c – t h e b ox w i t h i n t h e
b ox , o r t h e c o n d i t i o n e d s p a c e w i t h i n t h e
l a r g e r u n c o n d i t i o n e d c o n t a i n e r. H o w d o e s
yo u r p r o p o s a l b u i l d o n o r d e v i at e f r o m i t s
p r e c e d e n t s ?
FA : T h i s p r o j e c t i s a m a t t e r o f e c o n o m i c s . T h e b u i l d i n g
scale of the existing structure was too large for the
a r t s c h o o l . We n e e d e d t o t h i n k a b o u t t h i s p r o j e c t
ecologically, environmentally, materially and, of course,
economically. We wanted to keep the entire structure
intact and only demolish what was absolutely necessary.
We removed the external concrete façade to allow more
light to penetrate the building. We also implemented the
“ u m b r e l l a l o g i c ” w h i c h d i s a s s o c i a t e d t h e r a i n e n v e l o p e
f r o m t h e t h e r m a l e n v e l o p e . T h e r a i n e n v e l o p e c o n s i s t s
of transparent polycarbonate and the thermal envelope
c o n s i s t e d o f t w o w h i t e m o d e r n b u i l d i n g s . O f c o u r s e , t h e
problem with modern or flat-roofed buildings is that they
leak. In this instance, we can have modern buildings,
and we can inhabit their roofscapes and residual
spaces because we don’t have to worry about the rain.
The preexisting structure is not connected to the new
programmatic insertions. Here the existing structure acts
l i k e a n u m b r e l l a t o p r o t e c t t h e ov e r a r c h i n g l o g i c o f t h e
whole.
B G : Yo u r A r t s c h o o l p r o j e c t i s i n v e r y c l o s e
p r ox i m i t y t o L a c at o n & Va s s a l ’ s N a n t e s
A r c h i t e c t u r e s c h o o l , r e c e n t ly c o m p l e t e d i n
2009. How do the two projects compare?
FA: Very different. In the case of the architecture school,
the architects built more program than was needed. They
designed extra space. Working with industrial remnants,
we had much more space than was programmatically

n e c e s s a r y. A n ov e r a b u n d a n c e o f m e t e r s s q u a r e d . A s a
c o n s e q u e n c e , t h e s p a c e w e h av e d e s i g n e d i s d i v i d e d i n t o
s m a l l e r s p a c e a n d b e c o m e s i n c r e a s i n g l y m o r e p r i v a t e a s
one penetrates the building. We have brought the existing
building down to a more interactive, human scale.
B G : T h e E S B A l o o k s e x c i t i n g. H o w d o e s i t
announce itself to the city? Is there a marker?
FA : A m a r k e r ? T h e b u i l d i n g i t s e l f i s a m a r k e r. T h e
p r o j e c t ’s t r a n s p a r e n c y a l l ow s p e o p l e t o a n i m a t e a n d
t r av e r s e t h e b u i l d i n g a s a n u r b a n s i t e . I t i s t h e p o t e n t i a l
fo r m o b i l i t y a n d e n c o u n t e r t h a t d r aw s a t t e n t i o n t o t h e
project.
>>more @ franklinazzi.com
H a l l e A l s t o m . G i a n t . L u m i n o u s . Ta gg e d . T r a i l e r s
lining an interior wall hint at the coming
81

82
transformation. According to Azzi, this will be
the “neurological center” on the Ile de Nantes.
The project is planned for competion in 2014.

LA
VILLA
NOAILLES
Once you’ve been to the
Villa Noailles, you begin
to nurture a fantasy of
complicity and collusion.
You hope to return.
You strive to drop the
Noailles, and call the
place simply the Villa. The
Villa, is in the know; you
want it in your network.
The Villa is a purveyor of
discriminating taste and
emergent talent. It is a
platform that promises
an encounter with salient
contemporaneity in the

...an undistinguished cubist extravaganza of reinforced concrete set atop
a high hill, within the ancient walls of a Saracen fortress. It had been
designed in the late twenties by a fashionable architect named Mallet-
Stevens, contained something like fifty rooms and was surrounded by a
large garden... [The]large salon at Saint-Bernard which had no windows
but was lighted from above by a bizarre cubist skylight which occupied
almost all the ceiling, adding to the sense of existing outside time in a
stranded ocean liner.
-James Lord
/ text by Christopher Reznich/
photos Christopher Reznich /
Jean Louis Farges/
85

realm of architecture,
fashion, photography and
design. The Villa seeks out new
accomplices for future impact and stages
events around their imminent rise. It is a
curious and seductive place. Rarely does a
cultural venue so deliberately ensconced in
the sensibilities of the Now manifest such
careful sympathies in establishing a bond
with the Then.
The backstory goes something like this. In
1924 Charles and Marie Laure de Noailles,
voracious collectors and pioneering art
patrons, commissioned the architect
Robert Mallet-Stevens to
build the Villa Noailles in Hyères on the
French Riviera. They had mused over design
proposals from Mies van der Rohe and Le
Corbusier, but chose Mallet Stevens for
his crisp geometry, concrete construction,
terraces and hanging gardens. It would
be the architect’s first realized project,
completed in three years. The Armenian
artist Gabriel Guévréjian
designed an adjacent cubist garden.
For the next two decades the Villa served
as the material fulcrum of European
Avant Garde, and the trove of illustrious

89

91
visitors and friends amassed by Charles
and Marie Laure is astounding. Pablo
Picasso, Georges Braque,
Joan Miro, Paul Vera,
Jean Prouve, Marcel
Breuer, and Eileen Gray all
spent time living or working at the Villa. The
Noailles supported film projects by Salvador
Dali and Luis Buñuel. Man Ray’s film Les
Mystères du Château de Dé features the
Villa prominently. And they commissioned
works by Balthus, Giacometti, Brâncuşi, and
Dora Maar.
Then the denouement. In 1940 the villa,
occupied by the Italian Army, is turned
into a hospital. From 1947 until 1970, the
villa was the summer residence of Marie-
Laure. She died in 1970, and the house was
purchased by the city of Hyères in 1973.
Charles de Noailles died in 1981.
Today’s revived Villa, under the direction
of Jean-Pierre Blanc, is the
logical extension of the original summer
retreat, where encounters with the
cultural vanguard are intensified. In its
current form, the Villa provides space for
creation, momentum and play. Home to the
annual Design Parade, the
Festival International de
Mode et de Photographie,
leading architecture and photography
exhibits, workshops, conferences, the
Villa is gaining significant force as an
internationally resource for cultural
substance, providing multiple occasions for a
worthy sojourn to the South of France.
There is also a residency program. In a wing
of the Villa called diminutively “the petit
villa”, curated guests stay in four rooms
independently appointed by François
Azambourg, Florence
Doléac, David Dubois and
Bless.
At the Villa programs are updated, events
staged, the site expands and contracts,
breaths. Here the contemporary is
juxtaposed against the historical narrative,
a permanent collection of artifacts and
works that represents the treasure troves of
distinguished lifetime. However briefly, the
visitor joins the alliance with the distinctive
past as well as the imminent future.

94
A bed which functions as an inhabitable pin hole camera
is insalled in one of the curated guest rooms at the Villa
Noailles. Through a tiny opening in the panel facing the
window, the guest experiences the projection of an image of
the landscape beyond. Dreamy.

digital pleaSure
@
LA GAÎTÉ LYRIQUE
/ PHOTOS KYUNG JIN HONG /
BRIAN MUSCAT / CHRISTOPHER
REZNICH /
MANUELLE GAUTRAND’S CENTER
FOR DIGITAL ART AND MUSIC
OPENS IN A REFURBISHES
THEATER-AMUSEMENT PARK

Transfigurations by Matt Pike & Realise & Simon Pike
97

The Théâtre de la Gaîté was built on the rue Papin when the company relocated in
1862. In the late 1980s a good portion of the building is demolished to make way for a
quickly doomed amusement center. The facade, entryway and foyer are all that remain.
In November 2010 the City of Paris completes a digital arts and modern music centre
on the site, La Gaîté Lyrique, which restores and incorporated the surviving historic
front section of the old building.

99

TEXT BY ASH THOMAS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEEEUN
HAM, KYUNG JIN HONG, AND BRIAN MUSCAT

S E E N F R O M T H E Q U I E T R U E V E R C I N G É T O R I X I N T H E F O U R T E E N T H
ARRONDISSEMENT, NOTRE DAME DU TRAVAIL (OUR LADY OF LABOR)
A P P E A R S T O B E A R A T H E R C O N V E N T I O N A L A N D H U M B L E S M A L L P A R I S H
CHURCH. CONCEALED BEHIND IT’S SIMPLE STONE FACADE, HOWEVER,
LIES AN INTERIOR OF UNPRECEDENTED STRUCTURAL INTRIGUE, AND A
UNIQUE STORY OF TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY ARCHITECTURAL INGENUITY.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Paris
regarded itself as the world capital for technology
and innovation. Industrialization was moving ahead
a t f u l l s p e e d , a n d t h e c i t y e x p e r i e n c e d a m a s s i v e
i n f l u x o f w o r k e r s t o fi l l t h e n e w f a c t o r i e s . T h e
1 4 t h a r r o n d i s s e m e n t , n e a r t h e c i t y ’s s o u t h e r n
periphery, felt the impact of this new immigration
q u i t e a c u t e l y, a n d s o o n p l a n n i n g b e g a n fo r a n e w
church to accommodate these new workers and their
families.
C o n s t r u c t i o n o n t h e n e w c h u r c h b e g a n i n 1 8 9 6 , a n d
Fa t h e r S o u l a n g e - B o d i n w a s a p p o i n t e d t h e p a r i s h
priest. As a nod to the working-class parishioners,
the church was dedicated to Our Lady of Labor.
The architect of this new church, Jules Astruc,
was given an unusual design challenge. It was
d e t e r m i n e d t h a t t h i s c h u r c h s h o u l d e n d e a v o r t o
make these new factory workers “feel at home.”
Wo r k e r s d u r i n g t h i s p h a s e o f i n d u s t r i a l i z a t i o n
s aw l i t t l e o f t h e i r r e a l h o m e s ; e x c r u c i a t i n g w o r k
schedules ensured that they spent the majority of
t h e i r w a k i n g h o u r s i n t h e f a c t o r y. A c c o r d i n g l y, t h e
church was constructed using the tectonic language
of industrial architecture.
I n p l a n a n d s e c t i o n , t h e c h u r c h c o n t i n u e d t o a d h e r e
t i g h t l y t o C a t h o l i c c o n v e n t i o n , w i t h a n a v e f l a n k e d
by two aisles and capped with a Romanesque facade.
I t ’s s t r u c t u r e a n d s u r f a c e s , h o w e v e r, w e r e r e n d e r e d

in the delicate engineered filigree of turn-ofthe-century
ironwork.
T h i s w a s a n e r a i n w h i c h P a r i s w a s f r e q u e n t l y
f l e x i n g i t s c o l o n i a l m u s c l e s t h r o u g h i t s
n u m e r o u s E x p o s i t i o n s U n i v e r s e l l e s , a n d t h e
c i t y w a s p r o d u c i n g t e m p o r a r y a r c h i t e c t u r e a t
a s c a l e a n d s p e e d n e v e r b e fo r e s e e n . T h e s e
e x p o s i t i o n p a l a c e s e l e v a t e d t h e a r c h i t e c t u r a l
language of the factory to the cultural sphere.
Remarkably, Notre-Dame-du-Travail was not
o n l y c o n s t r u c t e d u s i n g t h e i n d u s t r i a l l a n g u a g e
o f t h e s e e x p o s i t i o n p a l a c e s , i t r e u s e s t h e a c t u a l
material of these temporary event structures.
S h o e h o r n e d i n t o t h e r e l a t i v e l y p e t i t e v o l u m e
of this traditional Catholic parish church,
this productive misuse of the industrial kito
f - p a r t s s p a r k s a p o i g n a n t d i a l o g b e t w e e n t h e
i c o n o g r a p h y o f d o g m a t i c c o n v e n t i o n a n d t h e
iconography of modernity.

rue de
noyer
A STREET SLATED FOR DEMOLITION IS THE SCENARIO FOR AN
EMERGENT, COLLECTIVE URBANITY. MICHAEL SANDERSON
VISITS WITH ROSALIE PAQUEZ AND LYL LUNIK IN THEIR ATELIER
ON RUE DE NOYER. ROSALIE PAQUEZ TALKS ABOUT LIFE AND ART
ON A STREET IN PERMANENT TRANSFORMATION.
/ interview Michael Sanderson / photographic essay Michael Sanderson, Brian Muscat
+ Jean Louis Farges /

109

Tell us a little bit about Rue de Noyer. Is it a squat? An autonomous street?
What are we looking at?
This isn’t quite a street, this is a situation. It started as a completely organic
process. None of this was planned. None of this was legal. This street was a
mix of squatted and commercial spaces. Concerned citizens. The squats were
continuously shifting, changing location. And now it has evolved into the urban
situation you see.
Are you a long time resident?
I’ve lived on this street for four and half years. This is our gallery here and
our apartment. The street has continuously evolved since we moved here. New
residents, new collectives, coalitions, projects have kept developing here over
an extended period of time.
How is this street organized? It certainly does not resemble many others in
the capital. Do you have an agreement with the city?
Yes, the residents and businesses owners you see here have signed an agreement
with the city hall. The entire street belongs to the city, and it’s been this
way for years. Like in other neighborhoods, the city purchases the properties
one by one over time in order to ultimately renovate, regenerate, create new
urban spaces. So this street is slated for eventual “rehabilitation”, which is
another way of saying demolition. And we are here living and working in the
interim. We are using the street for our own projects, residences, for our livelihood
with the understanding that eventually, all of this will be removed. In
the meantime, however, we are interested in integrated art, poetry, collective
visions into daily urban life. And this is an ideal place for this sort of collective
experimentation.
Who determines what the street looks like? Whose aesthetic sensibility is
this?
We have designed the aesthetic logic of this street collectively. Every organization
on the street built a planter, for example. This was part of a small
greening the street project. You can see the mosaic planters everywhere, and
each one is original, each one is made by a different neighbor. Here is our
place. I share it with Marie, who is a painter, and another Marie, a portrait
artist. I make costumes for theater pieces. So it is a collective, shared atelier.
And sometimes we host events.
Would you say that the street is a collective canvas?
Maybe. What we are looking for a way to give value to everyone’s gestures.
And we are keen on keeping art in the realm of the approachable, the popular.
We do not want to make art too sacred, to unattainable. And, yes, we want to
share our creative practice.
Is this scenario special to Belleville? Is Belleville’s ornery history and marginal
attitude an enabler for this kind of activity?
This situation is not indigenous to Belleville. Something like this could take
place anywhere. If you have the human energy, the interest, the engagement,
the neighbors, the autonomous attitude, this can take place anywhere you like.
Is graffiti legal on this street?
Yes! For example, this wall is a wall for free expression. It is legal to tag it.
Graffiti is completely authorized here. We have the privilege and the authority
to tag all the surfaces. Only on Rue de Noyer is this activity legal. You cannot
tag anywhere else. You cannot walk across the street and tag over there.
Perhaps you could. You could try.
By authorizing graffiti on Rue de Noyer and not elsewhere – is this a form of
strategic containment of an otherwise unsavory urban activity?
I don’t think so. There are a number of streets like this, where tagging is legal.
Do these sites serve as a sponge? Perhaps. But it is bound to spill outside
the limits of the street. The engaging part is that this wall is in constant motion.
Every day people tag this wall. Sometime the wall changes twice a day.
Do all of the neighbors agree with the aesthetic sensibilities of the collective?
No. There are lots of people that do not like this grassroots form of urbanism.
Is Rue de Noyer is an economic generator?
Sure. The city knows that this is an attractor, but the street is still not a legitimate
urban form. The city is still not thrilled, not even comfortable with this
form of organization. So even though this is an important urban attractor, it
will nonetheless end eventually. This isn’t forever. But it is important to recognize
that there is something very powerful when urban situations emerge.
What we are witnessing is emergent program – and this program is capable
of testing the temperature of the water, understand the parameters and the
qualities of the urban site. This way things can change and evolve slowing. This
is not fashion. This urbanism is rooted. Slow growing and intense.

Pleurotus
P. ostreatus
The caps may be laterally attached (with no stem).
The stem is normally eccentric. The gills are
decurrent. The spores are smooth and elongatedcylindrical.
Where hyphae meet, they are joined by
clamp connections. Not a bracket fungus. Most of
the species are monomitic. Pleurotus dryinus can
sometimes be dimitic, meaning that it has additional
skeletal hyphae, which give it a tougher consistency
like bracket fungi. Delicious.

120

COLOCO’S
MON-
TREUIL
MUSH-
ROOM
FARM
/ STORY AND PHOTOS BY JENNIFER KOMOROWSKI / ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY
CHRISTOPHER REZNICH /
M
EET COLOCO. THIS
PARIS-BASED FIRM
UNAPOLOGETICALLY
SUBSCRIBES TO THE
NOTION THAT SIGNIFICANT SPATIAL
OUTCOMES EVOLVE FROM THE BOTTOM
UP. INTELLECTUAL AND COLLABORATIVE
PROGENY OF GILLES CLEMENT, THE
GROUP’S ORGANIZATIONAL PARADIGM
PRIVILEGES THE CULTIVATION OF
USER-AGENCY AND MAINTAINS THAT
PEOPLE PLUS PLANTS SET COLLECTIVE
SPACE IN MOTION. WITH TRAINING IN
BOTH LANDSCAPE AND ARCHITECTURE,
COLOCO RESOLUTELY SEES THEIR ROLE AS
FACILITATORS. BY GATHERING RESOURCES

123
AND
HUMAN INTEREST, THEY SEEK TO
PROVIDE A FLEXIBLE PLATFORM ON WHICH
LOCAL POPULATIONS MAY DEVELOP AND
SHAPE SPACE TO BEST SUIT THEIR NEEDS
AND DESIRES OVER TIME.
MEET THE MUSHROOMS OF MONTREUIL.
IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD JUST BEYOND
THE PARISIAN PÉRIPHÉRIQUE, WE FIND
AN URBAN MUSHROOM FARM EMBEDDED
WITHIN AN OVERGROWN, UNDER-
COIFFED PARK. TOWARD THE NORTHWEST
EDGE, A DERELICT LITTLE ENCLAVE OF
GREENHOUSES, COMPLETE WITH A MINI-
CELLAR. THE MAYOR OF MONTREUIL,
INITIALLY CONFLATING A SCRUB-DOWN
WITH DEMOLITION, HAD THOUGHT TO
LEVEL IT.
Enter COLOCO with their theory that everything has value;
nothing is worth destroying. With minimal investment and
resources, COLOCO implements the framework to re-activate the
site. COLOCO’s role begins with the securing and preparing the
infrastructure - here the greenhouse and grotto-esque bunker.
Next COLOCO establishes the social network. Interest is gathered
and one hundred residents each invest 20 euros in exchange for
a share in output. Shareholders maintain the site, care for the
mushrooms, and reap their crop every two weeks. Although the
project is primarily self-sustaining, COLOCO remains an active,
enthusiastic participant on-site, working alongside the members of
the community. A neglected landscape has become an activated site
of production and social intersection.
this page from bottom
(1)all are welcome to participate: local retirees, the underemployed, even visiting university students
(2)entry to the mini mushroom grotto
(3)adjacent housing and garden patches
opposite page from bottom
(1)interior of greehouse
(2)greenhouse complex

124
COLOCO operates with the similar tactics at larger scales,
continuing to empower the user in public space. In collaboration
with the institution CENTQUATRE (104), COLOCO stages
an event that draws individuals from every corner of Paris.
By mapping a route, COLOCO crafts a parade that weaves
through neighborhoods of Paris with its final destination at
CENTQUATRE.
At each stop, residents aggregate and continue along the procession,
carting a plant along with them. Upon arrival at CENTQUATRE,
all nomadic vegetation is deposited, establishing a new community
greenspace.
At the global scale, COLOCO has collaborated with OMA in
creating a masterplan for Bordeaux, France. Exploiting the presence
of the high-speed rail and Bordeaux’s classification as a UNESCO
site of world heritage, the effort seeks to establish Bordeaux
as one of Europe’s leading cities. The present site condition is
characterized by the existence of fragmented program. Instead of
creating massive quantities of new structure to consume vacant
space, the voids are embraced as zones that may be activated by
the public, which will form a connective tissue to the city. Despite
being a multi-million dollar project, COLOCO manages to maintain
their ambition to ensure that the ordinary user remains an agent of
determinacy in the spatial consequences of their projects.
more @ www.coloco.org
this page from bottom
(1)Nicolas Bonnenfant, one of the founding partners of COLOCO, surveys first mushroom harvest. He works in
collaboration with Miguel Georgieff, Pablo Georgieff.
(2)loacal residents working in grotto
opposite page from bottom
first harvest complete

STILLS: VIRGINIA BLACK, PEYTON COLES, JEEEUN HAM, JENNIFER KOMOROWSKI + STEVEN CHRISTENSEN
DIAGRAMS: VIRGINIA BLACK + CHRIS REZNICH

rgb
Team Meta-Friche infiltrates a VJ festival and trade show in
Menilmontant to see how the best and brightest in the mapping
sphere are using video projection to transform our perception
of space. Alongside interactive displays of the newest 5-figure
live editing equipment, a group of young hackers build their own
diy
equipment on-the-scene for the cost of a Value Meal at McDo.
Virginia Black and Chris Reznich show us how it’s done.

parts
green plug caps [x2]
green receivers [x2]
red plug caps [x2]
red receivers [x2]
blue plug caps [x2]
blue receivers [x2]
washers [x6]
bolts [x6]
plugs [x6]
saturation dials [x3]

1
cut open cord
4
solder to saturation dials
1.1 Carefully cut the exterior layer of plastic on the cord around the circumference.
1.2 Measure 8 inches down and cut the cord in the same manner.
1.3 Slit the section of the cord between those two cuts longitudinally
1.4 Peel off the exterior layer of the cut piece.
4.1 Solder the end of the R wire to a switch.
4.2 Solder the end of one of the black cords to the other end of the switch.
4.3 Repeat steps 1.1 and 1.2 for G and B cables.
4.4 Wrap soldered connections with electrical tape.
2
expose wires
5
insert receivers
Peel back all of the exterior layers until the 3 main RGB wires are exposed.
Place receivers in top side of box lid.
3
snip
6
insert saturation dials
3.1 Isolate the R wire, snip and strip to create to bare ends.
3.2 Locate the input side.
6.1 Place dials on the underside of the box lid.
6.2 Tighten with the washer and bolt.

7
connect saturation dial to receiver
10 solder
7.1 Solder the other end of the black cable to the receivers.
7.2 Wrap soldered connections with electrical tape.
10.1 Solder cable ends to plugs and twist caps on.
10.2 Repeat for G and B cables.
8
connect receiver and output cords
11 connect and play!
8.1 Solder RGB cable ends to the other receivers.
8.2 Wrap soldered connections with electrical tape.
9 put it together
Place lid on top of box.
11.1 Turn the saturation dials to manipulate RGB values.
11.2 Disconnect the plugs to disconnect a color channel.
11.3 Mix plugs to switch color channels and values.

LOMAS DE ROLEX
SANAA’S ROLLING INTERIOR
/ TEXT BY KYUNG JIN HONG / PHOTOGRAPHY BY
JEEEUN HAM / KYUNG JIN HONG / MICHAEL SANDERSON
/ JEAN LOUIS FARGES /
At the Rolex Learning Center designed by SANAA, the
building and its users coexist. Intimately. The center has a
program. It is purposeful. Yet it’s rolling interior landscape is
transformative. Pliable. Suggestive. Not mandated. Hills stand in
for floors. Here you can climb. Rest, sleep, meet. The building is
divided softly asking its users to act and think differently. Some
students are oblivious to the interior landscape. They use chairs,
tables, benches, they do the predictable: study, eat and read.
Others play card games on a secluded hill. Other sleep on the
undulating landscape. Malleable space beyond the imagination.

Les
Frigos
cold storage in the 13th arrondissement.
Story by Melissa Bonfil / Virginia Black
Photography by Peyton Coles / Jeeeun Ham / KyungJin Hong / Chris Reznich
143

W H AT S TA R T E D A S A B U I L D I N G I N W H I C H
P RO D U C T S W E R E S T O R E D I S N O W I T S E L F A
SPACE OF PRODUCTION.
I t s s u r f a c e s e n t i r e l y c ov e r e d w i t h g r a f fi t i a r t , t h i s h u l k i n g
c o n c r e t e m a s s c a n n o t b e c o m p a r e d t o a n y t h i n g e l s e s e e n i n t h e
heart of the city of Paris. “Les-Frigos,” translated in English
a s “ T h e R e f r i g e r a t o r s ,” i s l o c a t e d i n t h e 1 3 t h a r r o n d i s s e m e n t
a n d w a s o r i g i n a l l y c o n s t r u c t e d i n t h e y e a r 1 9 2 0 a s a p l a c e
t o s t o r e t e m p o r a r i l y f r o z e n m e a t a n d fi s h , c o o l i n g t h e m
down before their final storage.
This building was decommissioned and abandoned in the
60s, leaving the space unused for fifteen years. In 1980,
the property owner, SNCF (the National Rail Company),
a l l owe d t h e l e a s e o f t h e d e s o l a t e d r o o m s t o fi f t e e n
a r t i s t s w h o i n v e s t e d i n t h i s f r i c h e s p a c e b e c a u s e o f i t s
i n c r e d i b l e t h e r m a l a n d s o u n d i n s u l a t i o n . B y s i g n i n g
t h i s l e a s i n g c o n t r a c t , t h e a r t i s t s a c c e p t e d t o f u n d
a l l t h e t r a n s fo r m a t i o n s a n d r e n ov a t i o n s t h e y w o u l d
m a k e . D u r i n g t h i s t i m e , t h e d ev e l o p m e n t o f t h e
R i v e G a u c h e ( L e f t B a n k ) w a s t a k i n g p l a c e . N e w
b u i l d i n g s w e r e b e i n g c o n s t r u c t e d a n d L e s - Fr i g o s
did not fit in with the surrounding expectation;
therefore, the proposal of a possible demolition
was announced.
I n 1 9 9 2 , J e a n - P a u l R e t i , P a o l o C a l i a , a n d
Jean-Rene de Fleurieu started the APLD
o r g a n i z a t i o n , w h o s e m a i n g o a l i s t o p r ev e n t t h e
d e s t r u c t i o n o f t h e s i t e a n d t h e r e l o c a t i o n o f
the tenants. After a labored debate between
t h e c i t y a n d i t s t e n a n t s , t h e d e s t r u c t i o n
o f L e s - Fr i g o s w a s av e r t e d t h a n k s t o t h e
APLD91 and the Tenants Association.
S i n c e t h e n , t h e b u i l d i n g h a s b e c o m e a
h i g h l y d e s i r a b l e s p a c e fo r c r e a t i o n
a n d p r o d u c t i o n . M o d i fi c a t i o n s h a d
t o b e m a d e i n o r d e r fo r t h e n e w
program to have an adequate space.
The building’s main materials are
c o n c r e t e a n d b r i c k . T h e t w o - fo o t
t h i c k w a l l s p r ov i d e s o u n d a n d
heat insulation that are very
a p p r o p r i a t e fo r t h e n e w u s e o f
t h e p r o g r a m , s i n c e t h e a r t i s t s
c a n w o r k w i t h o u t w o r r y i n g t h a t

45

FRIGOS TENANT AND ARTIST JEAN-
PA U L R E T I I N V I T E D U S I N T O H I S
P R I VAT E S T U D I O F O R A N I N T E R V I E W
AND A GLIMPSE AT HIS WORK.

any noise will disturb
n e i g h b o r s , m a k i n g t h e m i x
of editors, entrepreneurs,
and artists very successful.
Because the original building
w a s d a r k a n d c o m p l e t e l y
isolated from the outside,
e x t e r i o r w a l l s w e r e p e r fo r a t e d
t o a l l ow fo r n e w w i n d ow s t o b e
b u i l t , a n d w a l l s w e r e d e c o r a t e d
by the artists. Proper ventilation,
h e a t i n g , e l e c t r i c i t y a n d s a n i t a t i o n
w e r e a p p l i e d i n o r d e r fo r t h e
a r t i s t s a n d e n t r e p r e n e u r s t o u s e
their new studios.
The building plan, shaped like an ‘L’,
c a n b e e n t e r e d f r o m t h e p a r k i n g l o t
i n t o t h e c o r n e r o f t h e L . M o t o r b i k e s
and bicycles line this porch area
w h e r e s m o k e r s c o n g r e g a t e fo r s h o r t
c o n v e r s a t i o n s , a s t h e r e i s n o r e a l i n t e r i o r
l o b b y s p a c e o r c o m m u n i t y g a t h e r i n g s p a c e
f r o m t h i s p o i n t i n w a r d . A t o n e e n d o f t h e t w o
perpendicular corridors, there is a loading
d o c k fo r h e av y a n d l a r g e o b j e c t s t o e n t e r t h e
b o t t o m f l o o r g a l l e r y s p a c e s , w h e r e t h e y t h e n
c a n b e t r a n s p o r t e d v i a f r e i g h t e l ev a t o r t o t h e
o t h e r f l o o r s . A t e a c h l ev e l o f t h e p l a n , t h e r e
i s o n e l o n g a n d o n e s h o r t c o r r i d o r, e a c h l i n e d
with studio spaces. These spaces are highly
insulated and fairly isolated from one another;
a s a r e s p o n s e , t h e t e n a n t s s u p p o r t a n o p e n - d o o r
culture of exploration and communication in
o r d e r t o fo s t e r a s e n s e o f c o m m u n i t y w i t h i n a n
architecture that may otherwise seem quite cold.
O n t h e b a c k s i d e o f t h e b u i l d i n g , t h e r e a r e aw n i n g s
and gardens that are taken care of by the community.
These spaces provide more area for respite and social
interaction for the artists.
The process of reappropriating Les Frigos brought the
a r t i s t s t o g e t h e r a n d c r e a t e d a c l o s e c o m m u n i t y w i t h i n
t h e b u i l d i n g . I t i s n ow k n ow n a s t h e “ s e e d o f f u t u r e l i f e
i n t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d ,” a n d i t i s t h e a r t i s t i c c e n t e r o f t h e
development plan of the Rive Gauche.

EDOUARD FRANÇOIS
/ PHOTOGRAPHY BY JORDAN JOHNSON + JEN KOMOROWSKI /
150
EDOUARD FRANÇOIS. His work, a collection of
heightened idiosyncrasies couple autonomy with
interdisciplinarity, self-reflection with provocation,
landscape with surface, context with graphics,
libertarianism with ecology, to name but a few seemingly
contradictory alignment. His projects require a playful
new vocabulary, though the content is quite serious,
perhaps unabashedly earnest. One look at the models that
abound in the office and any criticism of choreographed
duplicity is evaporated. The delirium he advocates
is unaffected. The buildings are the models in direct
translation. No snake oil. The project here, ultimately,
boils down to a phenomenological appreciation of liberty
in all its material guises.
>> more @ edouardfrancois.com

156
CATIE TRUONG fi
in the numerous g
that line the P
Enough so that s
leave a mark of
give us a taste of
street art.

meta
tag
STORY BY CATIE TRUONG / PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELISSA BONFIL
nds inspiration
raffiti murals
aris streets.
he decides to
her own, and
the frisson of
CATIE TRUONG finds inspiration
in the numerous graffiti murals
that line the Paris streets.
Enough so that she decides to
leave a mark of her own, and
give us a taste of the frisson of
street art.

Paris is a city that thrives
on tourism. The streets are
infested with camera carrying,
fanny pack wearing, stroller
pushing, souvenir purchasing
families, enthusiasts and artists
from all walks of life.
Spending two months in the
city is certainly not enough
time to experience all that this
city has to offer, but it was
enough time for me to realize
that graffiti is an art form that
splashes the nooks and crannies
of Paris. Every wall becomes
a blank canvas. Every bridge
becomes an autograph book.
Every abandoned building begs
to be tagged. In a city, so rich
in history, so heavily traveled,
graffiti is a sight that may
go unnoticed by your average
tourist.
If you ask a tourist what they
want to accomplish in their
visit to Paris, you will likely
get a standard and predictable
response.
“I want to climb the Eiffel
Tower.”
“I’d like to attend mass at
Notre Dame.”
“I want to spend a day at the
Louvre.”
“I’d like to not get my wallet
stolen.”
The list goes on and on. While
I had these items on my own
“To Do List,” “I want to tag
Paris” was also on there. An
unexpected response I gathered
as I told others about my goal.
As I continued to tour France,
I was not surprised that I was
borderline obsessed with the
graffiti.
There are many areas of Paris
that are dripping with the fresh
paint of a recent tag. Bellville
is perhaps one of the most
well known of these areas. Rue
Denoyez bares the mark of the
infamous graffiti artist known
as the Space Invader. As you
walk past the street, your eyes
will likely follow the path of
color along the art-stricken
walls that change almost daily.
What was once an ordinary
alleyway in a miniscule part
of Paris is now an attraction.
Owners of the buildings
that line the alley have an
understanding that it is a
force to be reckoned with. If
anything, it helps business by
attracting unlikely consumers.
Every year, this area of
Belleville hosts a festival in
which artists living in the area
open their studios to the public
and artists are welcome to
bring their cans of spray paint
and their freshest designs for a
public art-in-realtime event.
Attending this spectacle was
like no other event I had been
to. I was captivated by the
process; I watched artists
create fantastic murals on
the walls of Rue Denoyez.
A photograph cannot simply
capture the creative process
that unfolded before my
eyes that day. Among the many
photographs taken that day,
the brief thought streamed
through my mind and slowly
advanced into a goal. As I
watched with astonishment, the
desire to know what it felt like
to perform such a production
washed over me. I wanted to
use a wall as my blank canvas.
I wanted my mark to be seen,
if only for a day.
In determining my interests for
this article, I could not suggest
any Meta Friche site that was
not covered in graffiti. Much to
my dismay, I could not suggest
a site that was not being
covered by someone else in this
magazine. As the conversation
for this article progressed,
my goal of tagging became
known. This was the topic of
my article; I was going to tag
Paris.
This goal had the alternative
fate of becoming just another
one of those things that I say
but never actually act upon.
Not this time; I had to do it
“for the sake of the ‘zine!”
The actual thought of doing
it, and I mean the ACTUAL
thought, was exciting but also
extremely scary to me at the
same time. I am not a risk
taker, so the more I thought
about it, the more trouble I
convinced myself I would be in
and I began to not want to do
it. I had to take the first step
though; I had to plan the what
and the where and I had to
buy the supplies or else it was
never going to happen.
I had two cans of spray paint in
my possession before I decided
I needed to make a move; I
was running out of time. I had
planned on going the safer
route and decided that it was
going to happen in a fenced
construction site very near to
my apartment for safe escape.
However, as mentioned earlier,
Bellville is known for graffiti;
squatters tag the area day and
night without trouble. Photos of
the area are potentially taken
as often as other landmarks
about Paris. Low risk and high
exposure seemed to convince
me that this was actually the
perfect place to
tag.
As for the tag itself, I had
no clue. I doodle a lot even
when I should not. I feel like
I draw block letters daily.
What seemed to be a small
detail became a difficult task.
It was stressing me out to
think about the permanent, yet
impermanent mark that I was
about to illegally put on a wall.
At some point though, it really
did not matter. The tag would
be covered up by another tag

in potentially a matter of
hours anyway. So I drew a few
random cartoons and after some
encouraging words, chose a
sketch.
Because I had waited so long
on account of my cowardliness,
I was left to perform this
tagging on the last full day that
I would be in Paris.
With the spray cans in my bag
and the napkin sketch in hand,
I sat on the Metro mustering
up the courage to spray. When
I arrived, and walked down Rue
Denoyez, it was empty. it was
nine o’clock in the morning.
Life in Paris appears to bustle
in the later morning hours. It
was early but at this hour, it
was not unbearably hot yet, it
was perfect.
As I reached the end of the
street and approached the
parking lot I had chosen, I
tried to find the most suitable
area. The area that I wanted
to spray just happened to
be occupied with sleeping
squatters. I wanted the
cover of the wall to shield
me in the even that a van of
police should so happen to
drive by and see an American
performing an illegal act.
This was no longer an option;
the area was claimed. My
anxiety was climbing but the
importance of me completing
this prevailed. As close to
the shielded corner and as far
away from the street as I could
get, I took the caps off of the
cans and decided I needed to
stop worrying and start doing.
I picked a decent area and went
for it. Mid-way through the
process, a local studio owner
came over with a smile on his
face and simply asked, “you
know that is illegal right?”
I was inclined to stop and
run but I smiled back and
responded, “am I going to be
arrested?”
“No, there is no trouble here,”
he says as he laughs and looks
around with his arms open
to the graffiti covered lot as
if to say, “look around, you
fool.” I was relieved by this
conversation and I carried on.
Three minutes later, my napkin
sketch was on the wall. I held
the cans and I stood back in
admiration. Shaking the cans,
I did not use much of the paint
at all and I felt that I should
tag more. I tagged a few more
times and every consecutive tag
was closer and closer to the
street.
By the end, I was fearless. The
cans were virtually empty and
the wall was now covered in my
tags of teal and green. I put
the cans down, snapped a few
pictures and went on my way.
Mission accomplished;
I tagged Paris. I can cross it
off my list. I have contributed
to the street art of Paris.
//ct//
160

After a visit to several of Dominique Jakob and
Brendan MacFarlane’s projects in Paris and
Lyon, we stop by their Rue des Petites Écuries
studio to see what they have on the boards.
JAKOB
134

PHOTOGRAPHY: JORDAN JOHNSON, JEN KOMOROWSKI,
B R I A N M U S C AT, C H R I S T O P H E R R E Z N I C H
AND STEVEN CHRISTENSEN
MACFARLANE

DOCKS EN SEINE
A n ew s k i n o f c h a r t r e u s e s t e e l a n d g l a s s i s g r a f t e d
o n t o t h i s 1 9 0 7 d e p o t s t r u c t u r e t o p r o d u c e a n ew h o m e
for the prestigious Institut Français de la Mode.

RESTAURANT GEORGES / PINK BAR
Aluminum forming techniques were borrowed from the
a e r o s p a c e i n d u s t r y i n o r d e r t o p r o d u c e t h e d o u bl y c u r v e d
surfaces of this restaurant and bar in the Centre Pompidou
100 LOGEMENTS SOCIAUX PLA ET PLI
The modernist apartment block is replaced by a series of formally
vague mounds at this social housing community in Paris.

RBC SHOWROOM
A n u n d u l a t i n g w a l l f r a m e s o b j e c t s o f d e s i r e
in this high-end furniture store in Lyon

LE CUBE ORANGE
Strategically located in the redeveloped port district near
the tip of Lyon’s presque ile, this phosphorescent office
block uses a monumental airscoop for passive ventilation.

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