Yes, green at last...

Yes, there are now trees and a lot of green to be found again, once you have reached the ground level after having arrived at “Les Halles” via one of the underground metro (1, 4, 7, 11) or RER (A, B, D) lines.

I could perhaps quote what I already wrote in a previous post about « Les Halles »… « The first market on this spot was established during the 12th century… », but you can perhaps rather have a look here - or here and here.  

Well, still regretting why not at least one or two of the Baltard pavilions have been left... After years of work, the empty space in front of the two year old "canopy" has now got its reshaped gardens – for how long this time? The gardens have in the meantime also been baptised after Nelson Mandela. On a sunny spring day, they are really nice. A lot of space giving pleasure to the kids – and their parents. You can watch the neighbouring Saint Eustache church (see my post here) and, under a “tent”, the old Chamber of Commerce (see my post here) which is being transformed into another museum of art – the Pinault Collection (see here), to open in 2019.

Under the gardens, the several-levels-shopping centre has also in the meantime been partly reshaped, “cleaned”…. Will “Les Halles” after the demolition of the Baltard pavilions, almost 50 years ago, at last be a “success story”?  

Les Halles - new version (2)

I have already talked about "Les Halles" several times on my blog (see here) - the long history, how the place was remodeled in the 1870’s and then again in the 1970-80’s… and now once more. The work is in progress – should be completed next year. For the moment “La Canopée”, supposed to remind us of a natural canopy, is finished. (Some pigeons seem to appreciate.)

The really more natural part of the park with trees and pathways has still to be done...

… and the necessary remodeling and refreshing of the underground shopping centre (with cinemas, libraries, swimming-pool… and a complicated network between different metro lines..) is still ongoing. 

Les Halles - new version

The first market on this spot was established during the 12^th century. What would be known as “Les Halles” was probably mainly linked to the Baltard pavillons, built around 1850-70 … and demolished 1971-73. This was until then the centre for all commerce with food of all kinds. The place became for a while known as “Le Trou des Halles” (the hole…). New metro stations were created, a “forum” was built on top in 1979, replaced in 1985 and completed with gardens in 1986. The underground became an important shopping centre with cinemas and a lot of other activities. However, the place did not give satisfaction for many reasons – security, unsatisfactory access and circulation… The disappointment with what was created in the 1970’s and 80’s means that a new project is now on its way. It will open partially next year and be completely ready in some two or three years.

I was not there for the earlier versions, but I made a post about what the place looked like until about three years ago (see here) and also about the neighbourhood, including the “Bourse de Commerce” (see here).

The picture of the Saint Eustache church (see previous post) you see on the top of the post was taken from the building site. I had the opportunity to put a helmet on and visit the ongoing construction work.

What is almost finished is “The Canopy”. The underground part of “Les Halles” will of course be covered, but now by a glass construction which protects from wind and rain, but anyhow opens to the exterior, to air. This part with new installations (shops, library, conservatory, cultural centre, restaurants…) will open next year (2015).  

Care has of course been given to capture solar energy, use of rain water…

A little space can already be seen with a bit of the aspect that will be offered. You can find a lot of information of what the future installations will look like. .

What has been especially important is to improve the access, including for the 750.000 people who daily use the six metro and three RER lines, which meet at the station “Châtelet-Les Halles”.  New accesses are created, the old ones remodelled. One of the major difficulties has been to keep everything open during ongoing construction works.

Part of the new garden is already open. As the whole area will be adapted exclusively for pedestrians, the underground tunnels and parking spaces are also rebuilt.

One already open part of the new garden, baptised “Jardin Nelson Mandela”, offers some remarkable space for kids.

I think that many of us would have preferred that at least some of the Baltard pavillons could have remained. Of course the food commerce could not remain (it moved to Rungis in the suburbs), but the architecture could have offered a lot of creativity, possibilities… However, this is how things were handled in the 60’s and the 70’s. Let’s give the new “Les Halles” a fair chance!   

If you wish to get more detailed information you can go here and perhaps more particularly here and here. 

Bourse de Commerce

The above photo is from the interior of the “Bourse de Commerce”, situated in the western corner of what is still called “Les Halles”, the place which until 1969 was the Paris central food market (see previous post). It’s close to the Saint Eustache church (see previous post) and also the Rue Montorgueil (see previous posts).

The present building was preceded by different castles, the last one built for Catherine de Medicis (1519-89, consort queen to Henry II and mother of three French kings – the de facto ruler – and blamed for the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew 1572). This is what her castle looked like. You can see what is said to be an astronomical tower – from 1574 - on the right side; Catherine believed a lot in astronomy. The castle has disappeared, but the tower is still there.

Around 1760 the castle was replaced by a “Halle aux Blés”, for the then important wheat commerce - basically the present building. After some fires and construction and reconstruction of the dome (the present one from 1811, the glass decoration from 1838), the looks have changed little, although the building was again on fire in 1854. The wheat commerce was abandoned and the building was taken for use by the Paris Chamber of Commerce in 1885. It was for some decades the home for different merchandise markets (sugar, coffee, potatoes...), but is today basically used for other activities linked to the Chamber of Commerce.

The remarkable paintings on the upper part of the walls date from the latter half of the 19th century.

You can also check the hour and the barometric pressure.

In the immediate neighbourhood, you will find some shops specialised in all equipment you need to prepare and consume your food...

... and, of course due to the vicinity to the previous food market, there are a number of good restaurants, including the well-known brasserie “Pied de Cochon”.

Behind an old entrance to a mansion, just behind the Saint Eustache church, you can today find the fashion house “agnès b”.

Les Halles

This is what until the 70's used to be called the "belly of Paris", when for hygienic and congestion reasons the activities which used to take place here were transferred to new premises in the suburbs (Rungis). What usually goes under the name "Les Halles" was from the 12th century until around 1970 Paris' central market (including wholesales) for fresh products. During the second half of the 19th century the so famous "Baltard pavilions" were constructed, thus demolished during the 70's. Several projects were planned and even launched and abandoned for new activities on this large area. In the meantime, and for years, this was known as "le trou (the hole) des Halles". Finally it became what you may call a park, covering an enormous shopping mall... and often critisized. Many regret the old pavilions; one of the twelve was saved, transferred to a suburb (Nogent) and now used for different cultural events.

The total of the present installations were completed around 1985, but there are now already fixed plans to again remodel the area, the "Canopée" project, which will start in 2010 and probably last a few years. (You can read more about it here.)

One of the previous buildings was left, the "Halle aux Blés (wheat)", built in the 1760's replacing a castle, sometimes used by Royalty, including by Catherine de Medicis, and from her days remain the "astronomical tower" (from 1574). This is today the "Bourse de Commerce".

Awaiting further transformations, the park and the shopping mall are there. On a sunny spring day the park gives quite a nice impression. Some constructions were made to recall the former pavilions. You can find an outdoor labyrinth for kids in jungle-like landscape. The area is quite green ... and there are a lot of flowers.

A cascading series of steel-framed glass windows opens on part of the underground area with annually some 40 million visitors, full of stores, shops, bars, movie theatres, museums, discotheques, a large swimming pool...

On the very lowest levels you will find what is supposed to be the world's largest underground station, Le Châtelet. Long corridors connect you between five metro lines, three high speed (RER) metro lines... If you decide to meet a friend at a metro exit - here you must be very precise, there are 14 of them.

Around "Les Halles" there are some nice older parts and some famous brasseries. One of the neighbouring streets (Rue de la Ferronière) is where one of the most popular French Kings, Henry IV, was killed in 1610 (by François Ravaillac). Immediate neighbours are also the pedestrian Rue Montorgueil (see previous post), the Square des Innocents (see previous post) and of course the Saint Eustache Church (see previous post).

I wish you a nice weekend!