ARC 6984 History and Theory of Urban Design

Power and aesthetic in Haussmanns City of Light

Zhi-qiu Zhang
MAAD
NO. 120185218
16/04/2013

Context:

1. Background: The establishment of the new regime and City of Light02

2. Urban elements and Aesthetics of power .03

2.1 District-Expansion of power ..03
2.2 Paths-Axis, Avenue and Boulevard04
2.3 Boundary- Control of volumes and scale06
2.4 Node-Centre of authority 07
2.5 Landmark- Image of power.09
2.6 Process - Need of ruling..09

3. Deficiency of Haussmanns plan:..10

3.1 Lose the independence of architecture.10
3.2 Lack of cityscape..10
3.3 Dying out of neighborhood relationship...11
3.4 Widen gap of social class unconsciously .11

4. Reference:12

Abstract:
Development of the human history of architecture, which is obvious,
influenced by establishment of power and changes of regime. As a producer of space,
the planner's work will never be a neutral one, even under the shell of neutral
technology. Since the influence created by power, urban planning sometimes becomes
a sort of filter behavior with a clear stamp of authority and class-consciousness.
Lefebvre analysis, the ideology of architecture and plan is dressed in pure, neutral and
charming cloth, with the banner named scientific, meanwhile it cannot get rid of the
control of power.
This essay is aimed to discuss the power and beauty of urban plan, and how
they interact in the field of urban planning and architecture. By anglicizing five urban
elements of Kevin Lynchs theory, I will try to reveal the relationship between power
and aesthetic, and the way of performance.

1. Background
Since the very beginning of the birth of power, authorities keep trying to insert
power into every field of the society. We cannot separate human development from
regime change, and we cannot talk about urban without power.
Paris is one of the most famous capital cities in the world, and this great city
we see today is based on Haussmanns plan of City of Light during the reign of
Napoleon III (1852-1870). Before the new plan drawing out, Paris was an unsanitary,
dangerous and congested city, which was suffering from foul smelling, darkness and
population boom. Napoleon I had tried to change this situation, however he didnt
accomplish it. Until his nephew Napoleon III, who took power in 1848, inherit his
ambitions for the city and invited Haussmann to draw the blueprint for the City of
Light.

2. Urban elements and Aesthetics of power

2.1 District-Expansion of power

The politics influences urban planning by its disposal right of land and space,
which is the key point of the political mechanism on urban planning. Except the
creation of large avenues, grandiose monuments and the development of magnificent
parks, Haussmann also organized and considerably simplified the lives of Parisians.
New administrative division was planned in 1857, dividing the city into
arrondissements. As the urban expanding, original plan of twelve arrondissements
were added to twenty by annexing surrounding areas. In this process, power holder
used central authority solved the shortage of housing and unbalanced development in
different districts. However, the plan implied the destruction of the old,
heterogeneous quarters in the city center and the creation of large new quarters
implicitly dividing the population by economic status.

Figure 1. Layout of City of Light

Figure 2. Master plan of Paris

Haussmann also focused on the detail in this city. Number system of both the
districts and the streets of Paris were set up. It started with the Imperial Palace in the
Tuileries as the 1st arrondissement, in honor of the Emperor, and then, the other19
arrondissements stretched in a snail-shaped clockwise spiral. He regulated traffic so
that Parisians would have to drive on the right side of the road. He also established an
inexpensive public transportation system that would cover the entire city.

Simultaneously,

modernizing

Paris calls for new water and sewer

system to deal with wastewaters
produced by the city. Besides the
urban landscape, Paris has a multiple
system underground. In order to meet
the need of the richer Parisian
district, a new sewer system was
expected to channel human feces,
deal with storm water, and funnel
into

the

Seine

downstream.

Haussmann separated different kinds

of water by settle three water
channels; hence a special channel for
communication

facility

was

set

among this system. It is this special

channel that provided councilmen a
prompt and secret way to connect
with the official press.

Figure 3. New sewer system

With the expanding of administrative division and sewers system underground,

the authority consolidated its power in terms of urban planning, and stretched its
tentacles into each corner of daily life.

2.2 Boundary - Control of volumes and faade

In Haussmanns planning, renovations were not only limited to new roads or
utilities, but also unify faade and height of architecture, which provided clearer
boundary and a stronger space sequence relation thus bring sense of order and power

to the entire city. In order to keep visual unity to the entire city, a unifying
architectural faade was designed by Haussmann and his team of architects. During
the 18th century and the time of the Enlightenment, architects were no longer
content to see their buildings glorify the state, the monarchy, or one specific stratum
of society: they aspired to create monuments that would celebrate human greatness,
inculcate worthy remembrance, teach moral values.

Figure 4. Street-Wall

Figure 5. Faade of architecture

In terms of aesthetics, Street-Wall in Paris was designed as homogeneous

architectural wholes. Architecture or streets were designed together- on a block, rather
than independent elements. Even the corners and living quarters were parts of urban
landscape; meanwhile they were extension and derivative of power. An emphasis on
the horizontal can be seen in the faade, following the horizontal of the streets they
sat next to, adding to the symmetry and geometric unity that Haussmann wanted the
new Paris to have.
The regulations and constraints imposed by the authorities favored a typology
that brings the classical evolution of the Parisian building to its term in the faade
typical of the Haussmann era:
load-bearing walls of ground floor and basement were designed parallel to the street;
mezzanine or entresol intermediate level, with low ceilings;
second, piano nobile floor with a balcony;

 third and fourth floors in the same style but with less elaborate stonework around the
windows, sometimes lacking balconies; Fifth floor with a single, continuous, undecorated
balcony;
garret rooms and dormer windows were designed with mansard roof at 45angle.

One counter-example is Scollay Square in Boston mentioned in Image of City

(Lynch Kevin), described as a fragmented space because of discordant boundary.
Compared with Scollay Square, the uniform of faade and height of architecture
create a clearly defined boundary, which highlight the control of axis and skyline of
Paris.

2.3 Landmark- Image of power

The landmark or symbol is always created as the sign of authority and wisdom.
Repeating these symbols is an immemorial method to fill narrative detail into the city
and history, in order to reinforce regime legitimacy and dominant position.
According to Kevin Lynch:
The essential characteristic of a viable landmark, on the other hand , is its
singularity, its contrast with its context or background... Control of the landmark and
its context may be needed: the restriction of signs to specified surfaces, height
limiteds which apply to all but one building. The object is also more remarkable if it
has a clarity of general form, as does a column or a sphere. If in addition it has some
richness of detail or texture, it will surely invite the eye.

Figure 6. Train station

New demands for hotels or living spaces for the rich and powerful stratum
rose up because of nouveaux social wealth and redistribution of power. Different from
the simple, austere apartments, hotels designed in a mixture of early Renaissance and
the ornate baroque style rose up in the most fashionable district in Paris presenting as
symbols of wealth and status and the rising modernity.
One of the most notable symbols is the rising of train stations, which shows
power both in terms of architecture and geography. With the speed of expanding,
these stations linked Paris to the rest of France, importing labors into this city while
exporting its pride and honor. Most of the stations were designed, with a high central
vault, adorned with glass and iron tracery, similar to that of the wheel that propels the
train along. The train stations were tall and classical in style, decorated with arcades
and balustrades, all while emphasizing the speed and power of the steam engine. To
many, the trains represented the new modern time, recognized around the world as
one of the greatest products of Industrialization.

2.4 Paths-Axis, Avenue and Boulevard

Figure 7. Avenue in Paris

Figure 8. Avenue in Paris

In classical power aesthetics, authority builds up the city in order to show off
the honor and power. One embodiment is seeking for vast and wide space to quench
the desire of conquering lands. The first time in Pariss history for large avenue is
Rambuteau built the way into a 13 meters-roads, which gave Parisians a surprise.

But what happened next really brought a big shock to the world- a moderatesize avenue of 13 meters stretched in the centre. Widening of streets is the greatest
work in Haussmanns plan, the even till today, this network is the backbone of the
city of Paris. With north-south axis cross through the city and the arterial street in
east- west direction, this structure separates Paris into twenty districts around Seine. It
is the first time that concept of geometric asymmetry was embedded into the field of
urban plan.
Is widening of streets a tool for an authoritarian regime? It seems that expect
show the honor of authority, need of transportation, aesthetic, the avenue and
boulevard hold a negligible role in controlling violence. And this could be dated back
to his experience as police commissioner during 1850s to 1860s. So there is no doubt
that there were amount of criticize from Napoleon III's contemporaries about this plan,
which hiding under the cover of propelling the social and transportation conditions
with the real purpose of reinforcing military policing.
By this opinion, the wide thoroughfares provide a facilitating way to troop
movement and set barricades to block intersections and as occasion requires, the
straight avenue allowed artillery to fire on rioting crowds. Thanks to this construction,
there is no need to employ tremendous firepower, but a small force to control open
intersections. Whats more, buildings in this area were set back from the street, which
means it is not easy to take the construction as fortification.[7] This interpretation has
been widely repeated and accepted, notably in Lewis Mumford's writings. [citation
needed]
Another opinion that widely accepted is from Australian military historian Dr
Peter Stanley. He noticed some details after visiting Paris. Acute angles at
intersections were much better than right-angles when have aimed conflict, because a
right-angled grid plan will probably cause accidentally injure on friendly forces by
cross-fire from the side-streets.

2.5 Node-Centre of authority

Figure 9. Centre of Palace Charles-de-Gaulle

With the requirement of space-expansion, the center of power should be built

in the city acting to organize and lead the development. Generally speaking, the
thrones of rulers occupy a centre in the building, while the architecture for authority,
such as royal palace and town hall, are located in the centre of the city.
Arc de Triomphe located in the centre of Palace Charles-de-Gaulle is more a
symbol reinforcing the image of power rather than a square for public life.
Haussmanns planning of urban faade and extended new street created a sharp
contrast between Triomphe and surroundings, and this metaphor of power existing in
civic space also highlight dominant position of Napoleon III.

2.6 Process of
Generally speaking, urban issues fall into two categories: tame problems and
wicked problems. Most of these issues however are wicked problems, rather than

tame problems, which always have clear ends in sight, and can be solved by
economists. On the contrary, wicked problems disobey the regulation of price
mechanism. When facing those wicked problems, economical methods play limited
role, in addition, once disguised its shortcoming, those thorny problems will possible
lead to social instabilities.

Hence, the defects of price mechanism need to be

remedied by means of power.

Any change whether revolution or reform urban engineering system is going
to encounter some resistance, and so the new urban engineering system, which are
expected by Louis-Napoleon and his political policies. However, when Haussmanns
large-scale layout clashed with squatter settlements, central authorities use power to
drive those residents away, and then located them in peripheral settlements, which
generally less comfortable but costlier. The inevitable entanglement of engineering
methods with political issues has in turn given rise to new problems in the social
sphere.

3. Deficiency of Haussmanns plan:

3.1 Lose the independence of architecture
As the cost of authoritys personal preference of Neoclassicism, before new
city plan carrying out, nearly 60% old buildings were removed. In addition, unifying
the faade, height, materials and style, make architecture lose its independence. Even
till today, there is a discussion about the passages couverts along Seine River. Those
passages couverts intensive constructed before 1850s were cut into piece in
Haussmanns plan, and then replaced by galleries commercials.

3.2 Lack of cityscape

The wide urban space and avenues insert large number of urban traffic, which
block the sight line to beautiful urban landscape. Instead of rich changes of elevation
and landscape, Parisians have more heave traffic on the street as their cityscape.

10

3.3 Dying out of neighborhood relationship

Neighborhood relationships relied on traditional urban structure are disrupted
because of city modernization. Public activities are dying out on uniform streets.

3.4 Widen gap of social class unconsciously

As the new administrative division was set up in Paris, and simultaneously
squatter settlements were moved away from centre, a greater gap between different
classes formed up. Whats more, the mid-class culture was confined by fixed and
limited entertainment place, while minority culture for aristocratic stratum only exists
in specific place like Opera House.

References
1. We Built This City: Paris. Documentary. (2003)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0902351/
2. David H. Pinkney, "Money and Politics in the Rebuilding of Paris, 1860
1870", Journal of Economic History (1957) 17#1 pp 4561.
3. Carmona, Michel, and Patrick Camiller. Haussmann: His Life and Times and
the Making of Modern Paris (2002) 505pp
4. Pinkney, David H. "Napoleon III's Transformation of Paris: The Origins and
Development of the Idea", Journal of Modern History (1955) 27#2 pp 125
134 in JSTOR

11

5. Pinkney, David H. Napoleon III and the Rebuilding of Paris (Princeton

University Press, 1958)
6. Pinkney, David H. "Money and Politics in the Rebuilding of Paris, 18601870", Journal of Economic History (1957) 17#1 pp 4561.
7. Richardson, Joanna. "Emperor of Paris Baron Haussmann 18091891",
History Today (1975), 25#12 pp 84349.
8. Weeks, Willet. Man Who Made Paris: The Illustrated Biography of GeorgesEugene Haussmann (2000) 160pp.
9.

Gandy, Matthew. "The Paris Sewers and the Rationalization of Urban

Space." Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 24, , no. 1 (1999):
23-44.

10. Jordan, David P. "Haussmann and Haussmanisation: The Legacy for Paris."
French Historical Studies 27 , no. 1 (Winter 2004): 87-113.
11. Pickney, David H. Money and Politics in the Rebuilding of Paris, 18601870, The Journal of Economic History 17, no. 1 (March 1957): 45-61.
12. Sutcliffe, Anthony. Paris: An Architectural History. New Haven: Yale
University Press, 1993.
13. Van Zanten, David. Building Paris. New York: Cambridge University Press,
1994.

12