I expect my twins to choose two places out of all the ones they like and regard as emblematic of their relationship with the city. By all means not an easy task. I thought it was fair enough that i should reciprocate. Here we go.
I was born, I grew up and lived in Marseille until I was 18. My family settled there a long time ago. And I sometimes find it difficult to identify which memories are mine and mine only and which were passed on to me by my brother, my parents or grand parents… It’s like my being a «Marseillaise» is not only a personal construct but was, for a good part, inherited.
When I walk the streets of what is known as «le quartier des antiquaires» (a part of the city with many antics shops), nearby the Prefecture, it feels as if i was transported back in time, reliving part of my mother’s family history. There, rue Bonnefoy, my grandfather’s grandfather used to be a frame maker, the father of my grandfather sold antics, as did my grandmother, mother and uncle. At home, antics were everywhere and i was raised among them. I do like antics, still, but my grandfather would probably be puzzled by my taste for contemporary art. I sometimes wonder, would he laugh, frown, would he too take interest new art forms…
Moving on to la Joliette, the harbor district and yet another travel in time, back to my father’s past this time. His mother, my grandmother, spent her childhood there. She used to live place de la Joliette. She remembers fondly the hustle and bustle of dockers loading, unloading ships, the lively atmosphere of night bars were they used to gather after their hard working day. At night, she could feel the vibrations of buses and streetcars driving by her apartment, at times making it really difficult for her to sleep. I never got a chance to experience the tales my grandmother told me. By the time i grew up the area had sinked into recession offering the bleak sight of deserted warehouses, closed down shops and empty streets. Today it’s coming back to life, undergoing a massive urban renewal facelift. A very ambitious one, bound to alter not only the whole harbor sea front but the whole city. Euroméditerranée(1) is the name Marseille has given its future : museums, a brand new business centre, condominiums, a skyline in the making… I fear this transformation of the city could destroy its soul. Already the most vulnerable part of the population has been pushed away, outwards the city centre, in the process. I fear all will be left soon will be cold and empty spaces where people would feel out of place. I can’t help but wonder whether it really is what the inhabitants of Marseille need and hope for?
Yet, I can’t either help being thrilled. It feels as if the city was awaking, shaking off its inertia. Daring architectural projects will give birth to a brand new skyline, much like Sidney’s or even Shanghaï’s. A new face for the oldest european city. It won’t feel the same of course, but it will probably be an even more eye-catching sight than it already is. I’m, for instance, eagerly looking forward to seeing Kengo Kuma’s design for the Contemporary Art Centre coming to existence.
Marseille is changing, its metamorphosis speeding up in the past 5 years, at the same time its identity remains. Pretty much like a person it needs to both have roots firmly tying it to its past and young shoots projecting it towards its future. Everytime i come back to Marseille, i feel that same need : gather strength in the familiar, find energy in the stream of life feeding the changes…
Moving on to la Joliette, the harbor district and yet another travel in time, back to my father’s past this time. His mother, my grandmother, spent her childhood there. She used to live place de la Joliette. She remembers fondly the hustle and bustle of dockers loading, unloading ships, the lively atmosphere of night bars were they used to gather after their hard working day. At night, she could feel the vibrations of buses and streetcars driving by her apartment, at times making it really difficult for her to sleep. I never got a chance to experience the tales my grandmother told me. By the time i grew up the area had sinked into recession offering the bleak sight of deserted warehouses, closed down shops and empty streets. Today it’s coming back to life, undergoing a massive urban renewal facelift. A very ambitious one, bound to alter not only the whole harbor sea front but the whole city. Euroméditerranée(1) is the name Marseille has given its future : museums, a brand new business centre, condominiums, a skyline in the making… I fear this transformation of the city could destroy its soul. Already the most vulnerable part of the population has been pushed away, outwards the city centre, in the process. I fear all will be left soon will be cold and empty spaces where people would feel out of place. I can’t help but wonder whether it really is what the inhabitants of Marseille need and hope for?
Yet, I can’t either help being thrilled. It feels as if the city was awaking, shaking off its inertia. Daring architectural projects will give birth to a brand new skyline, much like Sidney’s or even Shanghaï’s. A new face for the oldest european city. It won’t feel the same of course, but it will probably be an even more eye-catching sight than it already is. I’m, for instance, eagerly looking forward to seeing Kengo Kuma’s design for the Contemporary Art Centre coming to existence.
Marseille is changing, its metamorphosis speeding up in the past 5 years, at the same time its identity remains. Pretty much like a person it needs to both have roots firmly tying it to its past and young shoots projecting it towards its future. Everytime i come back to Marseille, i feel that same need : gather strength in the familiar, find energy in the stream of life feeding the changes…
