They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same surely applies to one of the most prominent and glitzy cities in the world: magnificent Paris. It might even seem that both cities, of legendary repute, are somehow counterparts. They were both envisioned by an emperor who wanted to display a political message of innovation, grandeur, and opulence. In both cases, these major urban reforms and massive reconstructions blanketed any popular struggle or resistance with blinding beauty and a popular entertainment setup (from gladiators to cancan dancers and brasseries). And thus came to be the Paris that we now know, a city of divertissement that amasses over 30 million tourists a year.
But it’s also fascinating to learn how an entire growing city was dealt with as a single, almost experimental mass project. For over twenty years, from 1853 to 1870, Paris was a continuous construction site. With the implementation of new technologies and new design standards, the result was not just a different aesthetic but a completely new social order, urban sprawl, and way of life.
It's no surprise that just as it still is today, the “second empire” Paris was somehow made for the rich. It was rebuilt at a time when the city was the biggest industrial hub of the mid-19th century, hosting multiple Expositions Universelles and leading new inventions. Running water, indoor gas lines, extensive underground sewage systems, and city maintenance regulations made it a picture-perfect setting… if one could afford it.
Although a single Hausmannian-type residential building housed the merchant, nobleman, and workers together, it was nonetheless favorable to the wealthy and actively sidelined the working class to the city’s periphery. Thus came about the heroes of the Realism novels of Maupassant and Balzac, bearing the true image of what Paris had become.
Though things don’t appear too different today, it is important to note that the spirit of experimental and social reform through targeted design hasn’t been diminished and remains a defining feature of Paris. It is evergrowing and ever-evolving. Many prominent architects have and are still challenging the status quo, pushing for additional functional and beautiful social housing projects, parks, and public buildings that aim to rebalance the scales and return Paris to its dwellers. An example of this will also be the upcoming Bastille Day and the most anticipated Olympic games of 2024, which engage participants and viewers to take back their city streets in a true celebration for all.
