Parc de la Villette

plan view

Hello again. Yes, this is another post about Paris, but it should be the last. Until I look at photos and think of another. Barcelona is to come, so hang in there for a new place, next post.

There were soooo many places in Paris to See. We only had a few days and the point of being there was the Tour de France, so I had to pick and choose. Neither of us like tourist stuff so much, particularly because we don't like to wait in lines. So I chose to See some places that I had read about or studied pertaining to landscape architecture.

Parc de la Villette seems to be either loved or hated, most often the latter. So off we went, on a hot, sunny day to See what it was all about. We spent quite a while there, but at 55 hectares (approx 136 acres), it is difficult not to. A large portion of that space is green, according to Wikipedia, but to me, it seemed very centralized around hardscaping. It was built in the 1980's, designed by Bernard Tschumi in a deconstructionist style. There are large, red, metal architectural follies and a series of gardens. Along the borders of the Parc are Cite des Sciences et de l'Industrie and Argonaute and La Geode . There is a music museum, visitor center, nightclub, open air theater and bookstore. The Canal de l'Ourcq runs through it. How's that for history in a few sentences? If you want more, Google it.

There were things I loved, things I didn't and things I just didn't get. There was so much going on here that I am struggling at how to present it all. Being that it is deconstructionist, that is odd. I saw it more as too-many-things-going-on-in-one-place at times. So here is a description of what I Saw: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

The Good

Circulation was good. The Parc has a main path that meanders along, passing nearby, if not through, the major highlights. So it was pretty easy to see everything in one long, rambling walk. This edited out a lot of the decision making factors, where to go next, which way to turn, that usually are present in parks.

The bicycle sculpture was damn impressive. Basically, it is in parts, scattered over a vast green lawn, as though it had fallen on its side and was buried over time, leaving only key parts visible. The guy in the Speedo is not my husband! Just some guy with bad fashion sense looking for some sun that day. You have no idea how hard it was and how many photos I took to get one without him. I used a berm to hide him, but this photo is still the best.

The dune garden was very cool. Sort of like a playground, sort of not. It is a series of rolling hill-type features covered in different materials. There are cool airplane-shaped wind gadgets above and pillowy things to jump on. Lots of fun was had by children running around this area that day.

Very funky seating. But a little dated now. But still functional and very inviting, very necessary.

Large expanses of lawn being enjoyed by actual people for multiple uses. No one is getting upset that they are playing soccer, picnicking, sunbathing in the same space. Tons of people were there that day, making it work.

The Bad (too harsh) or Not As Good or Was Great Once

The dragon garden was amazing in its day. But its day had passed and there it is sad, abandoned, alone in its geriatric state. Just looking for someone to care about it. I did, but I couldn't help it. If only I could have.

What is it? A very funky, HUGE dragon sculpture thingy made out of wood and paint, with a metal slide in the middle. I am sure it was very well loved in the 80's when it was built. Perfect for kids, except the materials. I bet the ideal, all weather materials that it was meant to be made of were value-engineered out. Or it was designed by an architect, not a landscape architect or play designer. Sorry architects.

Because of its decrepit state, paint chipping, probably broken and deemed unsafe, it was closed off with a metal fence like it had been put out to pasture and forgotten about. Sad, so very, very sad. Dragon, I love you, or at least what you were once. It isn't your fault they let you go.

Very odd ground planes. Difficult to understand visually. Some of these may have worked better by not being there. And what about the differently-abled?


The Ugly

Too much hardscape, plain and simple. Had to cost a fortune. I understand that it is supposed to support its particular space, but enough is enough. There were patterns against other patterns, varying heights, tripping hazards everywhere. No continuity at all and not in good repair.

Seems as though some areas, like the dragon, had been forgotten. I will spare you the photos. You can use your imagination. There were water and mold stains in the bamboo gardens. Runnels were filled with dirt and leaves, some seemed clogged. Planter boxes in the red follies were empty or garbage-strewn. Some that had plants had badly engineered irrigation that was failing to do the job. Plants looked sun baked or wind scarred.

And why, did someone plant this tree here? Hmm.

I don't want to end this on a Ugly note. Overall, I liked what I Saw. Very cool place. Very well used. Someone just needs to put some love back into it.