The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,200 times in 2014. If it were a cable car, it would take about 20 trips to carry that many people.
First and foremost, I would like to extend a huge (belated) HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of our American readers!
As it is our final blog, we here at Drawing From The Archives are so thankful for all of your collective encouragement, loyalty and interaction throughout our blogging endeavor.
This week we were asked to discuss our chosen city in relation to either Material Culture or Urban Architecture through the use of our own offline materials. We took the opportunity to show off two of our own beautiful cities; Cork and Dublin, as well as prove how well cultured we are here having visited cities like Bilbao, Venice, Vancouver and Marseille!
As always, we would love to hear your feedback on any of the topics mentioned this week, so don’t be afraid to leave us a comment or send us an email!
We hope you all enjoy having a read through – don’t forget to download the ePub for when the Wifi’s down!
Aoife, Jennifer, Katie O, Donna, Katie M and Pierre.
To start off this week’s blog Jennifer will be examining our first case study city; Bilbao.
Last April, I had the opportunity to spend eight days in the heart of the Basque country with my fellow Geography classmates on fieldwork. It was without a doubt one of the most beneficial and fulfilling practical exercises I’ve undertook over the course of my education. Not only did I learn much about myself as a geographer, I learned how to put a city under a magnifying glass.
Bilbao is situated in the province of Bizkiai, Northern Spain and is considered the economical capital of the Basque region. (John Crowley, 2013) I could bring you through the entire history of Bilbao which is indeed an interesting one but for the purpose of this blog post, I’m going to fast forward to the 20th century when Bilbao was the economic powerhouse of the Basque Country. In 1900, the Euskalduna shipyards were founded where the largest company in Spain of this century located and was the result of the merger of several iron and steel businesses. However, after Bilbao went through their own version of “The Celtic Tiger” the iron and steel industry was hit badly towards the end of the century and the Euskalduna shipyards in 1988 were forced to close. As one can imagine, this was a huge blow for the residents and economy of the city, similar to that experienced in the Dublin Docklands discussed by Katie M!
“Around the globe during the 19th and 20th Centuries, many waterfront cities such as […] Bilbao […] developed [its] waterfronts for industrial purposes. However, as urban economies began to make a postindustrial transition, many of these once highly productive waterfront spaces went into decline and became redundant.” (Davidson, 2009)
“The massive industrial and trading complexes that once dominated urban waterfronts became landscapes of despair. As capital fled from urban waterfronts, the communities that were left behind often faced high unemployment, economic stagnation, and growing social problems.” (Davidson, 2009)
But the city of Bilbao took the hit in its stride. Instead of giving up, it was at this time that Bilbao underwent, to link back to my first blog post, a sort of Haussmannisation of its own. Originally a grotty city whose economy depended on shipping industry, a wave of redevelopment surged through the city in the 1980s in the form of urban infrastructure and material culture. A tragic flood that left much of the waterfront destroyed and the city in social and economic decline in 1983 was as much of a motivation than the closing of the shipyards. It essentially became a brownfield site. (Davidson, 2009, pp 215)
Careful planning had to be taken into consideration to rebuild Bilbao’s image. Physically the landscape has healed but the memories transcend generations. When the decision was made to rid the shipyard, all the families who were dependent on it economically (labor struggles exist to this day) organised many strikes to oppose this gentrification (this antagonistic relationship between civilians and police is evident through the graffiti on the streets). Bilbao is now a city of significant regeneration, reinvention and re-imagination. It seems that it doesn’t dwell too much nor depend on its past but alludes back to it through its urban infrastructure and material culture where modernity and tradition stand proudly side by side. The docklands have been remade into a postindustrial space where remnants of past activities now only exist in the form of postmodern pastiche, where quaysides support the balconies of luxury apartments and cranes exist as artifacts.
Image 1.1 Juxtaposition between the traditional architecture and the modern glass skyscrapers. Photo Credit: Jennifer Egan, April 2014
Image 1.2 A red Derek and stacked crates standing outside Bilbao Maritime Museum in remembrance of the city’s maritime heritage. The iOS codes are a modern twist. Photo Credit: Jennifer Egan, April 2014
Just off the Plaza del Saprado Coragon, Bilbao’s Maritime Museum acts as kind of a memorial site showcasing old boats and small ships shadowed by a red Derek/cranes, buoy structures as well as stacked crates that have iOS codes for iPhones (evidence of modernity and tradition merged). This is a bit off the beaten track and not obtrusive in the landscape. This may suggest that they humbly remember their past but choose to not let it dominate their present. Well, one might think that until they catch a glimpse of the new Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall located exactly where the shipyard originated. This is an extraordinary sight overlooking the waterfront. It’s rusty appearance imitates that of a ship being built. A new culture housed in an old one, one could say.
Image 1.3 Euskalduna Conference Center located down by the waterfront. The unique architecture of this building is reminiscent of Bilbao’s ship building past. Photo Credit: Jennifer Egan, April 2014
Apart from the aesthetic elements in this area, another thing that struck me is the high density of apartments that reach up to on average 5/6 stories along the waterfront. The planning department have gone to great lengths in catering for these apartment dwellers. Large public spaces are well-needed by the local residents of Bilbao to facilitate leisurely outdoor activities which they lack due to the fact apartments don’t generally come with a garden. These facilities are more than provided for in the form of running lanes, playgrounds, benches, roller skating rinks and greens.
Image 1.4 Bilbao’s waterfront is a well planned public space providing areas for recreation, leisure, sport and retail for both residents and tourists. Photo Credit: Jennifer Egan, April 2014
However the most significant feature of Bilbao’s waterfront is of course Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim which has become an iconic feature and huge draw for tourists. The design itself is reminiscent of steel and, for the visual culturist inside of me, an abstract resemblance of a ship sailing on waves. It’s a symbol of Bilbao’s past, present and possibilities.
Image 1.5 The most iconic building of Bilbao; The Guggenheim, designed by “starchitect” Frank Gehry. Is this a positive symbol of modernisation, or a sign that Bilbao has forgotten its roots? Photo Credit: Jennifer Egan, April 2014
I hear that its common practice in Hispanic countries for people to greet and part with a kiss, however due to the virtual circumstances, a humble muchos gracias and hasta la próxima will have to suffice!
Thanks to everybody who’s stuck with us, provided us with criticism and encouragement along the way! Everyone here at Drawing From The Archive’s hopes you’ve enjoyed it as much as we have!
Chau amigos!
Jennifer E | 112302041
Bibliography
All images are sourced from Jennifer Egan, April 1st – April 8th 2014.
Davidson, M. 2009 ‘Waterfront’ International Encyclopaedia of Human Geography, pp. 215-216.
Crowley, J. (2013) Case Study: Bilbao, [Lecture to BA Geography], GG2010: Geography of Tourism. University College Cork].
‘History of Bilbao‘, 2014, http://www.bilbaoturismo.net/BilbaoTurismo/en/hitos %5BAccessed 20th November 2014]
For our non-Gaelic speaking viewers that’s ‘Hello for the last time’. This is my final blog post as part of our module assignment. I really hope you enjoyed my two previous posts on Amsterdam and Boston and came away with an improved knowledge of the public and the spectacle as well as finding out more about the cities themselves.
This week we were asked to discuss our chosen city in relation to either Material Culture or Urban Architecture through the use of our own offline materials. In Katie M’s entry this week she looked at the Dublin Docklands and in the name of Munster/ Leinster rivalry I would like to discuss the area around Albert Quay and Lapps Quay including City Hall, the Clarion Hotel, , the Custom House and Port of Cork. This area in fact remains a unique and popular location for gatherings, hosting events such as the Cannonball Race in August 2013 and Cork Rebel Week in October of the same year, both of which are illustrated in the further links page.
Katie O’Sullivan | 112362596
Image 1.1: The sign is self-explanatory. The Custom House built in the early 19th C and warehouses lie just behind the sign. Taken in August at the annual Cannonball charity run (Katie O’Sullivan 2013)
For those readers who don’t already know, Cork city is located in the South of Ireland, just upstream of the River Lee in the northwest corner of Cork harbour (check out the embedded map below). Two quick facts:
– The port of Cork is the second busiest Irish port and has several berthing points including Cork City, Tivoli, Cobh and Ringaskiddy.
– The regeneration of the Docklands is an ongoing venture.
Cork City Hall (2013)
Image 1.2: City Hall bathed in red and white (the colours of Cork) for Rebel Week. This is an interesting fusion of an historic façade decorated via modern technology to show pride in the city (Katie O’Sullivan 2013)
Kraftl (2009, p. 25-28) alludes to a landscape of power where buildings mediate and display certain interests to the detriment of others. Such influences are evident in that City Hall (see Image 1.2) and even more so the Customs House (see Image 1.3) seem out of place or neglected in comparison to the sleek buildings they now stand near (comfortable spaces of commerce and entertainment). This could be taken as in impact of globalisation on form and structure, letting go of heritage styles and adopting an ‘international architecture’ style. In doing so we are losing links to the past.
Customs House at the Port of Cork (2013)
Image 1.3: The rundown and gated Customs House seems unappealing and perhaps even dangerous. Yet if you are to approach these older areas of the city quays you can find a rich marine history associated with the port, not to mention a variety of shipping vessels to admire (Katie O’Sullivan 2013)
The buildings along Albert Quay are from the early 20th Century c. 1935; an echo of the past and no more than three storeys high. In juxtaposition Lapps Quay boasts modern, streamlined buildings at least four storeys high; advocating modernity. These buildings consist of a Hotel, Restaurant and a wide variety of offices and services showcasing the area’s financial, leisure and commercial function.
The Boardwalk (2013)
Image 1.4: This landscape of power is especially evident on the refurbished boardwalk area linking Lapps quay to the Customs House. Examining the area with a critical eye on the urban experience, you really feel as if it might be unsafe to go past this point and why would you want to explore older buildings when you can relax here with a river view or engage in tourist or leisure activities on the river? (Katie O’Sullivan 2013)
The Elysian Tower
Image 1.5: Cork’s answer to the skyscraper, the Elysian Tower, clearly stands above the surrounding buildings on the other side of the River Lee. The distinction between building styles is particularly evident in this composition (Katie O’Sullivan 2013)
‘Skyscrapers represent the ultimate expression of capitalist financial power in urban space’ (Kraftl 2009, p. 28)
This can perhaps be seen with the construction in 2008 of the 17-story Elysian Tower which now dominates the city skyline looking South from the Quays.
In conclusion it is clear that this area of Cork city has undergone a huge transformation in urban architecture and the experience of the city for locals and tourists of the past, present and future has been dramatically altered. There is a proposal to build an events centre on Albert Quay which it is hoped will kick-start major regeneration; downriver from City Hall and reaching as far as Pairc Ui Chaoimh, as envisaged in the City Council’s Development Strategy. In addition the strategy plans to reinstate lost boardwalks, widen the pavements and treat the river to bring a more appealing look to the ‘pedestrian gateways to the city‘. If Dublin’s final output is anything to go by, there are many changes still to come in the regeneration of Cork’s greater dockland area.
‘A development strategy to compete with other Irish and European waterfronts…the strategy promotes best practice in urban design and sustainable development…over a phased period of 20-25 years.’ Cork City.
That’s a wrap! Thanks for staying with us on our journey through historical cities and their diverse geographies and I hope you enjoyed this week’s post just as much as the others.
‘An enhanced use of the river’, Cork City, accessed 20 Nov 2014, <http://www.corkcity.ie/media/An%20enhanced%20use%20of%20the%20river.pdf>.
‘City Hall, Cork’, Cork Past and Present, accessed 25 Nov 2014, <http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/mapsimages/corkphotographs/corkcameraclubhistoricalphotos/cityhallcork/>.
‘Custom House’, Cork Past and Present, accessed 27 Nov 2014, <http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/mapsimages/corkphotographs/corkcameraclubhistoricalphotos/customhouse/>.
‘Custom House Yard’, Cork Past and Present, accessed 27 Nov 2014, <http://www.corkpastandpresent.ie/mapsimages/corkphotographs/corkcameraclubhistoricalphotos/customhouseyard/>.
‘Docklands’, Cork City Council, accessed 26 Nov 2014, <http://www.cork.ie/explore/maritime/docklands/>.
‘Key landowner backs docklands centre project’, The Irish Examiner, accessed 24 Nov 2014, <http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/key-landowner-backs-docklands-centre-project-258396.html>.
Kraftl, P 2009, ‘Urban Architecture’ International Encyclopaedia of Human Geography, pp. 24-31.
‘Port of Cork’, Wikipedia, accessed 26 Nov 2014, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Cork>.
‘The Elysian’, Wikipedia, accessed 26 Nov 2014, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elysian>.
‘Vision, A sustainable approach, delivery’, Cork City, accessed 20 Nov 2014, <http://www.corkcity.ie/media/The%20Vision,%20A%20Sustainable%20approach,%20delivery.pdf>.
Hi there! They say all good things must come to an end and unfortunately this is the case, as this is our final blog. For my final Blog I shall be going back to Italy. I just love Italy (must be some connection I have with the place maybe it is because my name is Italian!) It is off to Venice this time. I had the pleasure of visiting this beautiful, romantic and historical city at the end of February 2010. It was during the Venetian carnival, which happens annually two weeks before the Christian denominations of lent begin on Ash Wednesday.
Donna |112755861
person dressed and posing for Carnival with Gondola in the background
The grand Canal
Venice is like stepping back in time and as it is a pedestrianised city you can just loose yourself in the city while walking around the narrow winding streets, over the small bridges that bring you across the lagoon. The Venetian gothic architecture of the buildings are just breath taking. During the late 17th/ early 18th Century an inspriing Architect by the name of Andrea Palladio his architectural designs is based on symmetry and classical temple architecture of the Ancient Greek and Romans. His building designs are still a major feature in Venice.
San Sate Church with its ‘Palladian’ Architecture
Another beautiful piece of architecture in Venice is the Rialto Bridge is one of the four bridges that stretches over the Grand Canal in Venice. The Rialto bridge is the oldest bridge that crosses over the canal connecting the districts of San Marco and San Polo.
‘Rialto Bridge’ The Arch the bridge’s arch is higher than many bridges reaching about 7.5 meters this was to accommodate large galley ships passing through
Just over the Rialto bridge on the Eastern side is the flea market for tourist momentos and souvenirs from here it leads into the food market where you can get reasonably priced fesh produce of fruit, vegatables meat cheese and especially seafood.
Walking down to Rialto Market
Campanile di San Marco stands at 98.6 meters (324 feet) tall and is located near the front of the basilica. Most of the building is simply a plain bricked structure, topped by an arched belfry that houses five bells. While we were there a man was cascading down the tower onto Basilica di San Marco by a zip wire.
Man cascading down from the Campanile di San Marco on a zip wire
I will leave you all now with a few of my favourite photos from my time in Venice. Thank you for taking the time to read all of my blogs. Donna ARRIVEDERCI!
Te Arsenal in Venice
The Canal
A parade walking though Piazza San Marco
Just one of the many small bridges over the canal
Marco Polo’s house
For this last entry, we will stay in Canada but we’ll go travel the country onto the Pacific coast to have a look at Vancouver.
Pierre-Joseph Cancellieri | 114 112 124
Image 1: A view of Vancouver’s Downtown from a public park near the Gastown district
Vancouver is a relatively young city. The colonization of this part of the country is due to the gold rush around 1850. At this time, there were some settlements around the bay of Vancouver. The city has been found only on 1886 but its rapid urban growth transformed the city in a century to become the third largest city in Canada.
First, right after its foundation, Vancouver went through a boom period with the achievement of the Canadian line linking the country coast to coast. Also 3 weeks after, still on 1887, ships started to travel between Vancouver and China on regular basis. This is why Vancouver is such a cosmopolite city, both people from Asia and Europe went to it to start a new life. And there also is a general trend these past decades to emphasize the American Indian culture through public art.
Image 2: Indians totems in Stanley Park which reflect the willingness to revive the American Indian culture.
Image 3: Japanese piece of Art in Stanley Park. It reflects the diversity of the city which is influenced by Asian and European culture.
So as you can imagine the city has been really influenced by the construction of the railways line and the Canadian Pacific railways company. It’s true that city has been shaped by it but it’s not explaining everything. The city also experienced town planning quiet early and instaured a town planning by-law in 1926. The city Council called a firm to make a development plan. This plan was 50 years long but it was never applied. The Vancouverites had an early awareness of planning in order to keep controlled the development (meanwhile the city was booming) and to keep their city beautiful.
In a more recent history, Vancouver radically changed its downtown shape. From the 1940’s to the 1960’s, the buildings in the city centre became higher. Finally, we understand better why Vancouver became the Canadian sister or twin of San Francisco in the U.S. The bay, the bridge, the location of the downtown, and the uneven relief remind San Francisco.
Image 4: A view of Vancouver’ s Downtown area from the North side of the bay, suggesting the increase in the building’s heights
Image 5: View of the night skyline in Vancouver
Source: click here
As I went abroad for my last two blog entries, I decided to stay a bit closer to home for my last blog post; I decided to stay in my hometown of Dublin, so I have not venture too far at all for this blog entry. I will use my own photos which were taken in November 2014 to examine the regeneration which has occurred in the Docklands in Dublin City.
Katie McKay | 112417258
Image 1.1: Grand Canal Docks sign.
Dublin which is situated on the east coast of Ireland is the capital of the Republic of Ireland and it is Ireland’s largest city (visitdublin.com). For more than two hundred years, the Docklands area was dominated by working class people because of the thriving port and the employment that it provided. As a consequence of containerization in the late twentieth century employment in port-handling activities declined dramatically and a number of traditional industries (for example warehouses and flour mills) in the area were also forced to close (Dublin Docklands Development Authority Community Liaison Committee, n.d., pp.2-3).
As Dublin entered its post-industrial period, the waterfront became the focal point of urban renewal and regeneration (Davidson, 2009, p.217). Due to the central location of the Docklands and the potential which the area had, a renewal and redevelopment plan for the area was put in place by the Government. The Dublin Docklands Area Master Plan was put in place by the Dublin Docklands Development Authority in 1997 and this plan was amended in 2003 and again in 2008 (www.ddda.ie; Haase, 2009, p.6).
Office Space:
Image 1.2: Office Space in Spencer Dock – on the left of this photo is office space which is currently in use and on the right of this image is brand new office space which has just been built.
Prior to the office development boom, it took three decades to develop over one million square meters of office space. The office development boom which was generated by over a decade of economic growth after 1990 was the most intensive which the city had ever seen, with an additional 1.3 million square meters of office space being built (Haase, 2009, p.6).
Residential Areas:
Image 1.3: Apartments located in Mayor Square.
The development of private sector apartments in the inner city transformed Dublin’s residential environment. The establishment of the 1992 Finance Act encouraged investors to invest in the rented residential sector in areas which were designated under the Urban Renewal Scheme as they received tax relief for doing so – this tax relief for investors was linked to Urban Renewal Initiatives. Between 1996 and 2003, 8,800 residential units were built in Dublin’s inner city (Haase, 2009, pp.6-7).
Leisure Pursuits:
Image 1.4: The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre which is located in the Grand Canal Dock Area opened in March 2010. It would not have been feasible to build this theatre without the support of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority.
The concept of the development of a theatre in the Docklands area emerged in 1992 as the 3Arena was constantly being asked to stage Operas, Ballets, Musicals and Dramas, however there was only a certain amount of weeks in a year when theatre productions could be staged in the 3Arena. In 2001, the concept of a theatre in the Docklands area became a reality during discussions with the Chief Executive Officer and the Property Director of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. The Dublin Docklands Development Authority wanted an iconic building to be built at Grand Canal Square in the Docklands. Since the opening of The Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in 2010, the theatre has entertained half a million people every year (www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie).
Image 1.5: Waterskiing in the Grand Canal Basin.
Watersports have been offered in the Grand Canal Basin for over twenty years by Surfdock. Surfdock started as a small windsurfing school in the Grand Canal Basin in 1992 and now offers a wide range of watersport activities in the Grand Canal Basin. Since the beginning of the regeneration of the Docklands in 1997, Surfdock has grown a lot in terms of the activities which they offer. In 1992, windsurfing was the only watersport activity offered by Surfdock in the Grand Canal Basin, however today one can do kayaking, stand up paddleboarding and wakeboarding to name just a few (www.surfdock.ie).
I’ll sum up this blog entry with the following quote:
“Medieval, Georgian and modern architecture provide a backdrop to a friendly bustling port where the cosmopolitan and charming meet in a delightful diversity that is Dublin.” – VisitDublin.com
That concludes this week’s blog entry and my final entry in this series of blogs.
As we say in Dublin; I’ll love ya and leave ya,
Bibliography:
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. (2013) Bord Gáis Energy Theatre. Available at: http://www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie/ [Accessed 23 November 2014].
Davidson, M. (2009) ‘Waterfront Development’ in R Kitchen and N Thrift (eds), International Encyclopedia of Human Geography, Elsevier Ltd., Australia, pp.215-221.
Dublin Docklands Development Authority. (2002) Dublin Docklands Development Authority. Available at: http://www.ddda.ie/enjoydocklands [Accessed 27 November 2014].
Dublin Docklands Development Authority Community Liaison Committee. (n.d.) Report of 15 year of Community Gain obtained through the CLC influence on Docklands Development. Dublin: Dublin Docklands Development Authority. Available at: https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCAQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oireachtas.ie%2Fparliament%2Fmedia%2Fcommittees%2Fenvironmenttransportcultureandthegaeltacht%2FDub-Docks-Community-Liaison-Comm-Subm.doc&ei=xKlwVNSDC4HtaPqLgogG&usg=AFQjCNF5KAltBruXrxOtDYN2ZZZG1WEJsQ&bvm=bv.80185997,d.cWc&cad=rja [Accessed 22 November 2014].
Haase, T. (2009) The Changing Face of Dublin’s Inner City. Available at: http://trutzhaase.eu/wp/wp-content/uploads/R_2009_Divided-City.pdf [Accessed 22 November 2014].
Surfdock Watersports Specialists. (2014) Surfdock. Available at: http://www.surfdock.ie/ [Accessed 23 November 2014].
Visit Dublin. (2014) Visit Dublin. Available at: http://www.visitdublin.com/ [Accessed 22 November 2014].
Welcome to this weeks last batch of posts!
While last week I explored the importance of the main thoroughfare of Saint Petersburg, Russia; circa the late 19th and early 20th century, this week I decided to change it up once again! The process of telling a story of a city is always a tricky one; moving away from photographs sourced online, I am delving into my own family’s albums in order to give you all a view of the city through my own camera lens. This week’s post will be centered on the city of Marseille in France. I will specifically examine how the modern city of Marseille has embraced its cultural and historical character while in keeping with the modernity of the 21st century.
Aoife Cotter|112495138
Marseille is proudly France’s second largest city, after Paris. Due to its prime location on the Mediterranean coast, Marseille has always been a port city . Once known as Massalia; it was home to the first permanent Greek settlement and acted as a primary trading post for the Greek Empire. Over the centuries the Marseille metropolitan landscape has been witness to various changes; the introduction of various landmarks have enriched the cityscape and more recently the process of urbanization has transformed the city once again.
In April, my parents, in celebration of a landmark anniversary, ventured on a Mediterranean cruise. They explored a range of cities dotted along the Mediterranean coast; Marseille was one of these cities. Although it was a quick visit, while in Marseille they discovered some of the cultural landmarks which illuminate the cityscape.
Marseille’s Vieux Port is one of the grand Mediterranean ports, its World Heritage-listed site status has ensured that it is one of Marseille’s main tourist attractions. Tourism is a major part of Marseille’s economy, the areas surrounding the Old Port are filled with coffee shops, muesums, restaurants and open public space. All of these are of primary importance in a tourist orientated space.
Image 1.1 – This first image depicts the area of the Vieux Port (The Old Port), it was captured as the ship came into port. The panoramic image illustrates how the mountains effectively encircle the modern city built in its valley. It provides a good example of where the modern high rise housing styles meet just one of Marseille’s many culturally and architecturally rich builds. This fortification, which guards the Old Port, is known as the Fort Saint Jean; built in 1660 by King Louis XIV.
The city is deeply marked by its colorful past. There is a clear juxtaposition of how the old style architecture meets the new modern builds in the city. This mix creates a unique vibrancy, it enhances the appeal and overall experience of the city. For my parents, arriving into the port of Marseille was a very powerful experience. They, like many others, were drawn to the city’s blend of architecture as they began their approach into the city’s port. The effects of urbanization is clearly evident here in Marseille is exemplified by the density of high rise housing nestled into the surrounding mountain.
Image 1.2 – Even amongst the new builds of the late 20th century and early 21st century, the Basilica still stands tall as a beacon of Marseille. The Basilica also known as the Notre Dame de la Garde is just one of many culturally and historically important landmarks in Marseille; located just south of the Old Port.
Image 1.3 – A closer look at Notre Dame de la Garde. While it is a functioning Basilica, it also functions as a major tourist attraction for the city. An example of this is the petite train parked just to the left of the image. On the back of this in 2013, Notre Dame de la Garde unveiled its own new museum presenting 800 years of the Basilica and its place in the history of Marseille..
The city’s stance and success in embracing its individual culture and history was recognized in 2013 as the city was honored with title of; the European Capital of Culture 2013. The global recognition has given the city yet another status boost, providing another captivating reason to explore the city.
Image 1.4 – The Port Vieux Pavillion ; a giant mirror canopy designed by architectural firm Foster and Partners at Marseille Vieux Port. This open public space acts as a place of recreation and reflection as it reflects both its viewers and surroundings. It is a huge attraction for Marseille’s citizens and tourists alike.
The redevelopment of Marseille’s Vieux Port was jointly awarded the 2014 European Prize for Urban Public Space at a ceremony in Barcelona on the 25th of April 2014. The Prize was established to recognize the public character of urban spaces and their capacity for promoting social cohesion.
Image 1.5 – Redevelopment is still occurring in Marseille today. The array of architectural styles in the city bursts from this photograph, ranging from typically Mediterranean clay roofed houses and apartments to high density apartments and office buildings. Pictured here is the Velodrome Stadium (Stade Velodrome) which was photographed in April 2014.
Fun Fact: Marseille played host to two major sporting events, the first being; the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and the second; The Rugby World Cup in 2007.
In 2016, France will play the role of host country for the UEFA European Football Championships. Marseille’s Stade Velodrome will play host to some of the games. It is located in the south of the city, on the north shore of the Huveaune River. While an ultra modern building, it provides a prime function in terms of the availability of recreational based activity and supports the internal economy of the city.
Image 1.6 – This image was taken from outside the Basilica; the highest viewing point of the city. It presents a portrait of the cityscape; showing both the density and variety of housing styles, public green spaces and the port and surrounding waters. In the back drop of the photograph are the two forts which once used to protect the city. The first; Fort Saint – Jean and the second; Fort Saint – Nicolas are on the right and left hand side of the image; respectively.
Marseille is a city filled with both modern and historically significant builds. The success of the city lies within its ability to allow these forms to live side by side in harmony. A modern city, in order to survive, needs change and redevelopment, but the markers of the past should be included in the process. The significant landmarks of Marseille have survived the passage of time and are being embraced today both by the city’s citizens and visiting tourists alike. The city of Marseille will no doubt benefit from hosting some of the European Championship games. They will entice thousands of people into the city, in turn creating a mini boom for the city’s businesses and service sector. They will also uplift the city’s global image as a city which ensures the survival and upkeep of its past and historically symbolic architecture.
On that concluding note, I bid a final farewell to all of you.
Th th th th th th . . . that’s all folks!
Bibliography
All of the images included in today’s blog post have been kindly donated by my father.
Marseille History – Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marseille [Accessed 1 November 2014]
UEFA European Championship 2016 Information – Available at: http://fr.uefa.com/uefaeuro-finals/hosts/france/city=2201/index.html [Accessed 4 November 2014]
Marseille’s Vieux Port awarded the 2014 European Prize for Urban Public Space – Available at: http://www.fosterandpartners.com/news/archive/2014/04/marseille-vieux-port-wins-european-prize-for-urban-public-space/ [Accessed 4 November 2014]
Port Vieux Pavillion – Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/2013/03/06/vieux-port-pavilion-by-foster-partners/ [Accessed 4 November 2014]
We would love to pass this task onto someone else, but alas, we knew this day would come eventually; saying goodbye is always a hard one! . Collectively, we would all like to thank you for tuning in on a regular basis! Your clicked mouses and scrolled track-pads constantly checking in with us over the past two months is an act which has made us all very happy. The process of blogging was a new and unfamiliar territory for most of us but now an experience we will never forget!
We have thoroughly enjoyed creating these various posts over the last few weeks. We ourselves, along with you, have explored cities such as London, Boston, Montrèal and Paris (only some to mention). By delving into their inner workings, architecture and daily functions; we have discovered the true importance of the past and how it really does shape the future! As geographers conducting our research for these posts allowed us to explore the cities of the past and fully comprehend that such cities have laid the base foundations which the modern global cities, we all know today, are built upon.
As some of you may already know, we have added a new section to our blog where you can download all of our posts in an ePub format; as the blog has come to a close why not download them as a token to remember us by!
For now, from all of us here at Drawing From The Archives,
One last time,
So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, good night !
Aoife, Jennifer, Donna, Katie O’, Katie M. & Pierre.
All of us here at Drawing From the Archives hope our readers enjoyed the Halloween festivities of last weekend! We’re back today with our second round of blog posts, again focusing on six individual cities; some closer to home than others. The theme we’re working with this week is photography. Our goal is to bring your attention to the qualities, conditions and experiences of living in cities of the 19th and early 20th centuries. We’ve chosen a diverse set of themes for this week’s blog posts, we hope you enjoy stepping back in time with us discovering the cities of the past.
Before we let you explore the latest additions, can we firstly applaud the amateur and professional photographers whose works we will be using in our blogs this week. We admire their tenacity and devotion to charting the life of a changing city, chronicling minor to major events, places, people, objects etc.
One last thing, in case you missed it, we also added some ePubs of our blogs earlier this week. Please keep an eye on our Twitter page for updates and hints about cities being discussed in our next blog due November 28th.
As the saying goes curiosity killed the cat…but satisfaction brought it back.
On that note we hope you all enjoy this week’s entries and please don’t hesitate to comment below or contact us.
Aoife, Jennifer, Katie O, Donna, Katie M and Pierre.
To start off this week’s blog Donna will be examining our first case study city; New York City.
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GG3043
This is our blog for Historical geographies of the city 2014. The members of this group are Roisin MacCarthy , Steven Guerin , Aine Healy , Sinead Bracken and Aoife Coughlan.
A blog written by six curious students
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Series of blogs by Final Year UCC Geography students, focusing on Historical Geographies of the city
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Drawing From The Archives 