In Situ (Jun 2011)

Espaces publics en Europe dans les guides de voyage : pratiques et représentations. 1950-1970

  • Joanne Vajda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4000/insitu.683
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15

Abstract

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What room are French guides concerning Europe and published between 1950 and 1970 giving to describing un-built urban spaces? At first sight, this type of publication mainly endeavours to show architectural objects to the reader, giving rather little account of the urban spatial device qualities, of its morphology, of its atmosphere, of its uses and of the functions assigned to it. What is a street, a boulevard, a place, a square for guides authors? What kind of legibility do they give to the form and uses of un-built space? Beyond guides, those questionings entitle to understand how this type of “public spaces” is perceived and taken over at a certain point. How do the suggested routes integrate descriptions of the changes European cities are suffering at that time? The reconstruction that is affecting many cities after World War II seems to form the subject of particular care from the guides’ authors.

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