Paris' Architecture Museum

La Cité de L'Architecture et du Patrimoine

As the throngs of tourists crowd the Trocadero for arguably Paris' best view of the Eiffel Tower, many fail to notice the various museums and aquarium that comprise the site. 

Naturally the museum of interest to me was the architecture museum: La Cité de L'Architecure et du Patrimoine. This museum is dedicated to illustrating the lives and work of many of France's most renowned architects past and present as well as presenting accurate copies of art and stonework from major architecture in France. 

The Copies Gallery

 

Detail Work Rarely Seen Up Close

The building is gloriously uncrowded with a number of students parked here and there completing various sketching projects. I enjoyed the whole building with a particular emphasis on the presentation of architecture for world's Exhibitions and the various models. 

Gallery of Architectural Models

One model I found really striking was of the Decre department store built in 1931 in Nantes. The Decre model conveys the vigor of a cutting edge design lost to history.

Landmark Decre Store Nantes 1931

When the striking seven story glass and steel Decre building was completed it was considered the most important store in Europe. It included two restaurants, a terrace, a 300 seat cinema, hair salon, post office and even a puppet theater. 

However, it would survive only 12 years before its total destruction in the bombings of World War II.

I have to admit feeling old seeing the essential tools I learned to use as an architect being presented as historical artifacts.

Before Computers

I also really enjoyed the exhibit showcasing Le Corbusier's 1947 Unité d'Habitation built in Marseilles (also referred to as the Cité Radieuse (Radiant City) or the Marseille Block). 

The Unité design was based on concepts developed by the architect in the 1920's, but it was the demand for housing during reconstruction after World War II that finally resulted in the chance to test his ideas.  

Le Corbusier argued that big vertical buildings could preserve open space by floating above preserved large green open areas. The building was to be a large grid structure where modular living units could be slid into the grid. Hallways skipped floors allowing living spaces to extend from one side of the building to the other and utilize space that otherwise would be surrendered by long corridors bisecting the building. 

Building using modular construction resulted in units with uncomfortably narrow proportions. By post war standards the units were generously sized. By today's standards they feel small.

The main idea behind the highrise and dense vertical design was Le Corbusier's contention that it was better to build higher densities and preserve open space.

 The Land Consumed By Low Rise Housing Built in Traditional Densities

The Land Left As Open Space by Le Corbusier's Unité

Le Corbusier's Unité 

Le Corbusier planned each of the large structures to be elevated above the ground plane to allow open space to flow under the building. He envisioned the building as a total community with shopping and services all contained within the buildings. Even rooftops were used as community parks.

The Museum included a full size mock-up of one of the larger living units that you could freely walk through and explore as if it you were visiting someone's Unité unit. 

Apartment Entrance

Units Were Strikingly Contemporary   

 All Space Flowed Together

(A Complete Departure From Typical Design of the Era with Lots of Small Individual Rooms. The Loft Master Bedroom Allow for borrowed Views and Higher Living Room Ceilings)

Carefully Crafted Stairs Leading to Bedrooms Above

(Repetition Meant High Attention to Design Details)

Modular Sizing Resulted in Very Narrow Children's Bedrooms 

The desire to create affordable, well designed and hygenic living space for average income families has always been a quest for the worlds most creative architects. 

Today living units in the Unité, although over 70 years old and small by today's standards, are still in high demand.

From the Museum I decided to visit the Galleries Lafayette Food Hall for lunch. The various stalls display meat, produce, spices and pastry at the level of art. It seemed somehow appropriate after a morning spent examining design.

Pastry as Art

Roadboy's Travels © 2018  

  

Frank Gehry in Paris

The Fondation* Louis Vuitton

We wanted to present Paris with an extraordinary space for art and culture, and demonstrate daring and emotion by entrusting Frank Gehry with the construction of an iconic building for the 21st century.

Bernard Arnault

On the edge of the Bois de Boulogne (a huge Parisian park few tourists ever visit) is a major gallery and cultural space designed by arguably one of America's most creative living architects; Frank Gehry FAIA.

Gehry buildings tend to provoke very visceral reactions. People either love them a lot or hate them a lot.

I've visited four of his buildings: Santa Monica Place (an early work), Disney Hall, Seattle's Experience Music Project and now Paris' Fondation Louis Vuitton.

The Louis Vuitton Foundation who commissioned the structure officially reports that the building, opened in 2014, cost $143,000,000. As an architect, I'd offer that I view the official cost with extreme skepticism (the French news magazine Marianne reported the final cast was closer to $900,000,000). 

The building was between exhibits when I toured. So with the exception of a photographer doing a fashion shoot (it is Fashion Week in Paris), all of the visitors in the building were just there to see the building itself.

At one end of the site water cascades down steps to form a reflecting pool which conveys the impression that the building floats above the water. It is interesting that here Gehry's trademark swoopy doopy lines are not executed in metal panels, they are mainly glass and held away from the building. Sort of like the building is emerging from a cocoon. 

The builder had to invent new systems and installation tools to actually construct the building.

The project underwent court challenges mainly due to its location and ultimately received approval to move forward only after a special law was passed saying that the building was in the national interest and "a major work of art for the entire world".

Here are some images for you to draw your own conclusions.

 The Curving Glass Panels

Roof Terraces Offer Wonderful Views

Straight Lines Inside the Building

The Cafe Space

Some Fashion Week Shots

The Cascading Fountain

    

I enjoyed the building. Like the controversial Centre Georges Pompidou and the Pyramid at the Louvre, it extends the boundaries of traditional architecture. I think that buildings that can do that have merit.

Roadboy's Travels © 2018

*Not a typo, it is how the Parisions spell.

Baguettes & Bistros

Refocusing Life

Around December I experienced blurred vision. My doctors quickly diagnosed me with type 2 diabetes. For me this crossed a red line and I decided to make serious life changes. 

Friends got me into a daily gym routine in January and I now look forward to it.

But as they say, you can't outrun a bad diet, so I began by completely refocusing the way I approach food. No more number counting "diets". I started purging processed foods, grocery shopping and meal planning changed forever. I now zero in on fresh local fruits and vegetables. I buy smaller quantities and shop more often. I never go hungry and have reduced meat intake. I cut back all that sugar.

Well, the pay off came in September when, after slowly losing 23 lbs, my doc informed me that all my tests came back great with a glucose reading that no longer classifies me in type 2 diabetes.

So what does this have to do with Paris?

Kinda everything. 

When I think of attitudes to lifestyle, I immediately think of Paris. Here is a major world City where people are historically thin, yet eat good food, drink wine and have no fear of butter.

So a goal for this visit was, in some small way, to discover a little bit more about how Parisians approach food.

To accomplish this I booked a small group "Baguettes and Bistros" walking tour. The tour description described an introduction to the way Parisians think about food.

Our morning tour was led by a multi-lingual docent named David. He was a young Parisian who works 10 hour days between tours and his primary profession as a sommelier in a fine restaurant. 

We immediately knew we were in good hands.

David began the walk by having us look into the window shop at Chocolat Debauve et Gallais.  The origins of this shop date back to 1779 when Sulpice Debauve created a chocolate medallion for Marie Antoinette to mask the awful taste of her headache medicine. Sadly, for us, the shop was closed during our early morning tour.

Chocolat Debauve & Gallais

The next stop was the tiny Maison Goyard where we were introduced to various cured meats, pate's, terrine's and confit. This third generation shop is operated by a brother and sister team who enthusastically describe their foods.

 Learning About Terrines at Maison Guyard

 Terrines in Front and En Croute in Back

Then we were off to see (and smell) the dazzling array of cheeses at Androuet. This famous cheese shop was founded by Henri Androuet in 1909. He opened it with the idea of assembling, in one location, the vast variety of fresh cheeses from all over France. The shop then went on to cure its own cheeses, open a restaurant and offer tastings. Its customer list has included: Orson Welles, Collette, Hemingway, Toshiro Mifune and Maria Callas (who'd go into the restaurant's kitchen and cook up her own breakfasts with Androuet's cheeses).

A Loyal Pup Awaits at Androuet 

Cheeses are Organized by Goat, Sheep and Cow 

The Smell at Androulet was Amazing

With all of the products in hand we walked to the boulangerie of Eric Kayser. Here we gathered around a table as David presented us with fig bread and (of course) some fresh baguettes. He illustrated the differences in baguettes. We learned how to examine a baguette's shape, color and areation. 

Our Docent David

We then sampled the breads, cheeses and meats picnic fashion. David's descriptions were clear and precise.

After our tasting we set off to learn about modern French chocolates, caramels and fruit pate candies in Jacques Genin's chocolate shop. Here again, the emphasis was on quality not quantity. 

Fruit Pates at Jacques Genin

The fruit pates (jellys) were flavored with seasonal fruits and vegetables. And a bite into one of the tiny fruit delicacies produced bright expressive flavors. We also sampled a chocolate (mine was flavored with thyme) and lastly tasted a Genin caramel. Mine was flavored with mango and passion fruit. The shop packs selections in square silver tins that evokes how precious are its contents.

Flavors Here Include Mint, Fruits, Ginger, Teas and Thyme  

 Small and Wonderful

Last stop was to taste some fine armagnac. In this shop I also found some effervescent apple juice from Normandy - Yum!.

So my Paris take aways?

• Buy fresh, eat fresh. 

• Know what your eating.

• Avoid processed food.

• Focus on quality not quantity. 

• Take your time when eating (don't stand up or eat at your desk)

• Walk (a lot) more.

All pretty practical stuff. 

And, it all fits within my decisions regarding lifestyle changes.

Roadboy's Travels © 2018

Roadboy Visits the Musee des Arts and Metiers and Returns to the Gardens of Versailles

Highlights Days 1-3

Well this has been a wonderful visit to Paris.  The weather has been sunny and temps are perfect.

My itinerary has included a lot of walking and sightseeing with friends. Some whom have never been here before and others who are well versed on the the City of Lights.

With a large group I have been going with the flow. Some of our group had taken time to plan some great events for the group. Yet, there was lots of time to set out for the places that only I wanted to visit. The mood in the city is festive as the seasons are changing and the trees are bursting with color. And the residents have been incredibly friendly everywhere we've gone.  Americans take great pride in grousing about Parisians, but somehow I always seem to find amazing residents who are open and very willing to share their city with the world. All it usually takes is a friendly smile and a "Bonjour".

This trip coincided with the Ryder Cup golf tournament as well as Paris Fashion Week. So that made for lots of celebrities in Paris.

I began the week with a quick return trip to Versailles to spend some time walking its amazing gardens. My last trip to Versailles was in February and i underestimated how long a visit would take. So there was not sufficient time to experience its spectacular gardens. Also being mid-winter they were dormant. This trip I spent a short time in the Palace and emphasized time in the gardens.       

Looking Up - Interior Palace Stair Tower

Versailles Orangery 
(Lake of the Swiss Guards Beyond)

The Marlborough Tower

Marie Antoinette's Hamlet 1786

After chatting with our architect host Chloe about Parisian museum's and hearing that the Musee des Arts et Metiers would make her "favorites" list. I decided to visit it between our lunch in the Eiffel Tower and our dinner cruise on the Seine. 

The Musee des Arts et Metiers (Museum of Art and Trade) is a truly fun place to get lost and geek out in for a couple of hours. It is not crowded and is important enough to merit it's very own Metro stop (decorated in a Jules Verne theme).

The Musee is woven together using and old church and a more traditional exhibition space. It is a perfect stop for any visiting architects, engineer or scientist. Inside you will find everything from old planes, trains and automobiles to kitchen appliances, turbines and a Cray supercomputer. 

At the bottom of the grand stairs I loved the giant steel diving suit. It is an artifact that evokes steampunk; perfect for a fantasy novel. It will be on display here while the Musee National de la Marine is being renovated

Carmagnolle Diving Suit Circa 1880

Hanging above the grand stairs is Clement Ader's fabric covered, bat inspired flying machine.

Clement Ader's Flying Machine 1897

Aside from the usual turbines and architectural models is a gallery dedicated to static and mechanical figurines. I really loved the way they freeze the eras in which they were created.

 

 Figurine Tightrope Walker (The Serpent) 1934

Piano Playing Monkey 1890

The model depicting the construction of the Statue of Liberty was intriguing to me. While I knew the Sculptor was Bartholdi I was not aware it was engineered by Gustave Eiffel. 

Lady Liberty Model

There were some wonderful clocks, radios and cameras on display as well and scientific instruments.

Flute Playing Pendulum Skeleton Clock 1790

The last stop for me was a visit to the exhibit hall crafted by re-purposing a church. Here, the volume of space has allowed everything from a Foucault Pendulum to some pretty cool cars and airplanes. 

The Church

This museum typically falls below most tourists radar making an especially nice place to spend a couple of hours in Paris. 

Roadboy's Travels © 2018

 

OMW

Easier Than Ever

Well I'm on my way.  

After a quick flight from Phoenix to Los Angeles, I checked in for my flight from LAX to London Heathrow. 

I had cashed in a bunch of points for business class so it afforded a visit to AA's new Flagship Lounge at LAX.  The Flagship Lounge is placed side by side from the Admirals Club and it is quite a step up. It sort of reminded me of US Airways Envoy Lounge at Philadelphia in its heyday.  There was a wide variety of food and beverage food choices (even a chef cutting filet mignon to taste).

Soon it was time to board and climb into my business class pod (or "condo" as one of my friends calls them). It was a bit compact, but really nicely configured. Enough shelf space for my gear, nice bins, over the ear Bose® noise cancelling headphones, big pillow, ammenity pack from Cole Haan and a big monitor that could be rotated nicely out of view.

My Condo for 11 hours

I had pre-ordered my meal (panko breaded shrimp) and finished it all off with a sundae. The food was served hot and delicious.  The hickory smoked carrots were really nice.

After dinner and binging on about 6 episodes of "Atypical" downloaded from Netflix, it was time to sleep. 

When I awoke there was a quiche for breakfast coupled with a spectacular view of London. 

Breakfast with Views of The London Eye

Customs was smooth using the "FastTrack" voucher issued in business class.  It left me with plenty of time on my hands to collect my bags and make my transfer to Termnal 5 for my British Airways flight to Paris.

Knowing I'd be getting in about 9:00 PM, I just opted to crash at the Hilton you can walk to from CDG Terminal 3.

Tomorrow I will take the RoissyBus Shuttle into Paris Opera and catch an Uber to the home we have rented with friends.

Blue Star is Our House 

Literally in the Shadow of the Eiffel Tower

The Living Room

 The Loft

 

Conservatory and Garden

Well it has been a long journey and it is now time to sleep!

Roadboys Travels © 2018

 

Roadboy Prepares for Paris and Croatia

Something Old, Something New

In just a couple of weeks Roadboy embarks on a very special trip. It will begin with a week with friends enjoying Paris.  We have an amazingly beautiful home rented right in the center of things. There will be dinner cruises, lots of walking and an afternoon at Paris' Garnier Opera for Tristan and Isolde.   

Week two will be spent on a bicycle. This time we'll be riding islands in Croatia's Dalmation coast.  The scenery and culture should be really spectacular.

I'll return to the US via Rome with a stop in Florida. In Florida I'll join with friends in celebration of a wedding and finish with three days at Disney / Universal. I'll be returning to my Sonora Desert home late in October (when the weather is pretty much guaranteed to be back to total perfect wonderfulness). 

Lots of firsts on this trip. It will be the first trip (since I was 18) traveling for nearly a month.  😊  

It will also be my first visit to Croatia.  😊 

And, it will be my first bicycle adventure riding an e-bike.  🏁

 Stand by, lots of stories ahead.

Roadboy's Travels © 2018

Roadboy Visits The Henry Ford

Like Steam On The Mirror

As I made my way to the Detroit Airport this afternoon I found myself with many hours of time on my hands due to a very long flight delay courtesy of American Airlines. 

It seemed like a perfect chance to veer off the Interstate and go visit Greenfield Village in Dearborn, home of The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.

It was time very well spent in a museum of epic proportions (over 500,000 SF).

The Greenfield Village complex has 250 acres of attractions to choose from. It simply cannot be experienced in a single visit. The complex includes: Greenfield Village; the living history museum Ford meticulously assembled and crafted, The massive Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation,  The Giant Screen Experience and tours of Ford's Rouge automobile assembly plant.

I visited the museum and stunned at the impact just entering this enormous place. As you enter you find yourself looking straight ahead to a DC-3 suspended from the ceiling.  Then, gazing left, I the agricultural exhibit hall with its giant farm equipment. Gazing right brought an immediate chill as I gazed upon a string of Presidential Limousines led by the Lincoln Continental stretch limo President Kennedy's was assassinated in. 

The Kennedy Lincoln

Everywhere you look you find something that draws you in. The museum is filled with nostalgic images and artifacts chronicling American life. 

There is glittering neon and sparkling travel trailers. If it rolls (or flies), or if it is something we all rolled by,  it is probably here.

Iconic Images of Roadside America

 A Ford TriMotor

As you move through you also encounter other treasures; from the bus where Rosa Parks made history to Edgar Allen Poe's writing desk, to the seat Lincoln was sitting in at Ford's Theater when he was assassinated. 

There are giant steam engines presented with almost religious reverence.

Steam Engines Usher In The Industrial Revolution

There are huge railroad trains including the Ford family's personal parlor car.

There is even a complete 1960's era Holiday Inn Motel room just across the way from a fully operating diner. Step in and order a cheeseburger! 

Eat at Lamy's!

There is Mark Twain's drop leaf table and an Oscar Meyer WienerMobile circa 1952. There is even a complete Dymaxion House (sorry Millennials you'll just have to google it).  

R. Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion

This was fascinating to me since I spent many hours absorbing one of Bucky's famous (infamous?) 6 hour live lectures when I was an architecture student at the University of Idaho circa 1977.  We were advised to prepare in advance for the Fuller lecture by bringing food, water and snacks. 

The Dymaxion Living Room

Admiral Byrd's Arctic conquering Fokker is here.

First In The Arctic

This museum is a journey through innovation. It is a celebration of our popular culture. Anyone over the age of 15 will find themselves saying "I remember those!" Or "my father (or grandfather) used to have one of those!". 

This place is a reflection in the mirror for all of us. If you get bored here, you might want to turn off your smartphone and check your pulse.

So how did this amazing place come to be?  Spoiler alert, the backstory isn't all happy. 

Henry Ford was a driven man; a genius. He didn't invent the automobile or the assembly line, but he was the chief innovator of both.  Ford, the industrialist, changed more than industry, his influence changed this nation and the industrial development of the world. 

Ford began his company on a high note, demonstrating respect for his employees in his quest to insure their loyalty. But his love of automation blinded him to the increasingly de-humanizing workspaces he was creating.

And, like many geniuses, Ford personally was deeply flawed. He was openly anti-semitic and a Nazi sympathizer. He sometimes trusted the wrong people as long as they stroked his self-destructive ego. And it was his ego that sometimes drove him to publicly humiliate and degrade those that cared the most for him including his own son Edsel. 

Perhaps Ford's biggest lapse in judgement was the hiring of the former boxer Henry Bennett as his thug-in-chief to keep things in line at the factory. At Bennett's employment interview it was reported that Ford asked him something to the effect of "can you shoot a gun?". 

And, when production pressures increased, Ford looked the other way, allowing Bennett to escalate a reign of terror on the staff Ford had initially nurtured. It all culminated when Bennett combined his security staff with the Detroit Police in an organized attack on Ford workers trying to organize a union. Instead of preventing unionization, Bennett's killings and the well-publicized injuries of Ford workers, provided confirmation of their need for union protection.

As he grew older, whenever human driven challenges developed, Ford simply looked the other way devoting ever more time to his ultimate distraction; Greenfield Village.

Today, Greenfield Village is a national treasure.

It holds up a mirror to America's stunning achievements without ignoring its imperfections.

Don't miss it.

Roadboy's Travels © 2018