In Paris, a Cautious New Vision for Les Halles - French Architecture News 2003

The New York Times

The "belly of Paris," as the old market district of Les Halles was long known, has had many looks in its eight centuries. Everyone agreed, however, that its last makeover in the 1970's was a disaster. Now, after months of deliberation, the mayor of Paris has chosen a French architect, David Mangin, to oversee a fresh attempt to rescue the 15-acre zone. In doing so Wednesday, Mayor Bertrand Delanoë acted cautiously. Of four competing proposals, Mr. Mangin's design was the least radical, focusing on Les Halles' place in the landscape of central Paris more than on sculptural innovation. Further, instead of adopting Mr. Mangin's plan to renovate a huge underground mall and transportation hub known as the Forum des Halles, Mr. Delanoë called for a new design competition for the Forum.

Due to circumstances beyound our control, the original story which was a working link at the time of publication may be no longer available on the newspaper site. In that case, the dates and headline of the story will allow you to research the original through your local library. In addition, some newspaper sites may require registration, either at a cost or free.