MIND, /FRANCE AND SOCIETY IN THE SERVICE OF THE UNIVERSE

AKTUGLU, Yesim Kamile, Prof.Dr. architect, Dokuz Eylul University/ Faculty of Architecture/ Department of Architecture/ Structure- Construction Branch Izmir/ Turkey

Abstract:

Paris is in the service of the universe, in every title, in mind use, in social uses, with the effects of architectural and urban tectonics to create natural resources for learning more and beter. These are done with different types of events. At last times in our last centuries, all took place with the decisions of Grand Projects, which changed the sacred walkway of people towards Paris. During the 1970s, the new Centre Beaubourg, Cetre Pompidou, in the heart of Paris defined an alive social environment for all kind of people with enjoyment. Maybe, the building of Eiffel Tower caused to these sensational occasions. La for the skyline of La Defense, Paris’s 21st region, full with high rise buildings, may be the translation of Arc de Triomphe into today. Le with its main transparent pyramid for the new entrance and three smaller pyramids for daylight entrance to the ways for three wings, may mean that old can work together with new. La Villette, with Scientific Centre and Geode inside Parc de la Villette whispers about how an old and usable area could be converted into a new and usable area.

From past till today, in the , lots of events took place in a way. And today minds are working in a different way, as it happens through seeking the happiness of the society, the main aim is to save the future of the land. Maybe this is the situation to save our planet.

Architecture is the main profession to make this aim occur in reality. Through Grand Projects as the parts of the land, by using logical architecture, the city stays always as a magnet to be visited.

1. INTRODUCTION

During lectures for designing construction projects, eg. a new cultural centre in the site of Centre Pompidou, the students have to enlarge the dimensions of their minds to reach their dreams. First they should learn what Centre Pompidou means in space and in construction, then they should learn what Paris is, and finally they should study about the history of Paris to know how Paris let architects be able to design a project like Centre Pompidou, and what happened later to Paris till today and now while they will design their proposals, they will decide a Project in which manner. Will their proposal be similar to Centre Pompidou, or will it be more attractive than Centre Pompidou, or how will their design be. For this serious reason, they will learn more and more about Centre Pompidou by reading or by visiting Paris not only for Centre Pompidou but also for other Grand Projects. And during all these efforts, also the students, young generation will understand how the minds of Parisian may be changed to arrange architectural tectonics for the sake of the universe.

Photograph 1. A part of a painting in Louvre Museum (photo taken by Y.K.Aktuglu in March 2010)

By this way, new candidate architects will be more capable to think about all effects for their new design proposals. Their minds will be in a more advance position to make the society have better living environments.

2. MIND

About space and time, we can give the definition of Newton, as he did in the Principia. He wanted them to be understood for his discourse about mechanics. His definition about “absolute” space and time is:

“Absolute space, in its own nature and without regard to anything external, remains always similar and immovable.

Absolute, true and mathematical time, of itself, and of its own nature, flows uniformly on without regards to anything external” (Guillemin, 2003).

Pallasmaa wanted to mention the significance of the tactile sense for our definition about the world, by giving the title “the eyes of the skin” and also he wanted to create a conceptual short link between the main sense of vision and touch. He explains them from the time he was writing the original text he has learned that the skin has a capacity of knowing a number of colors, and this means that w really see by our skin (Pallasmaa, 2007).

3. PARIS/ FRANCE

As an example, in La Defense, which is a major both public and private office development, about 4 km far from the center of Paris. La Grande Arche, which is built to commemorate the two-hndreth anniversary of the French Revolution, in 1789, is designed to be a twentieth- century version of the Arc de Triomphe. It has a cubical form, having one edge in 106m. At both sides of this cubic office building, whose windows of the offices are looking towards the inside of the building (Levy, 2006). In this eample, you can easily follow how French Government brings a social advantage in the life of his society, in the meaning of the service given by the universe. At the top of the Arc de Triomphe, it is a chance to have a sky view over the urban texture of Paris from past till now by reaching to La Defense in vision by eyes.

4. SOCIETY IN THE SERVICE OF THE UNIVERSE

Vitruvius declared firmitas, utilitas, and venutas, two thousand years ago, as three defining qualities of architecture that have been tested along the time. While it is easier to be successful in creating outcomes and developing knowledge about technology (deciding how to construct) and functionality (deciding how to plan), it is harder to be successful in having beauty as a result (Bermudez, 2010). In every built example, the percentage of these tripal changes. And finally as a whole, we can have a clear vision about the society in the service of the universe after visiting buildings in a city. And the decision about Grand Projects, which will convert a part of the city into a better and more livable environmental section of the city, also serves for all people in the universe.

Photograph 2. The view of pool from the top of Pompidou Cultural Center (photo taken by Y.K. Aktuglu in March 2010)

Centre Pompidou brought a clean fresh air to Beaubourg District with its everytime exraordinary technological building complex, serves for all in every kind service, from library service to cultural service.

Photograph 3. View of Paris from the top, 300m., of Eiffel Tower (photo taken by Y.K.Aktuglu in March 2010)

Eiffel Tower is designed to be the symbol of France in the Great Exhibition, today’s Expo, giving you a chance to see everyhere of Paris from the point, at 300m. in height. Also it is an advertisement tower in having a knowledge what it means to be built in iron. La Grande Arche in La Defense, having a position in the same axis with Arc de Triomphe, can be accepted as a model office building for the other buildings in 21st region of Paris. Le Grand Louvre, not only with its palace buildings, but also with its new construction, can be accepted as a main source for learning more about past and now, in the mid of Paris with enjoyment. In Parc la Villette, Science and Industry Museum and Geode, at first, are looking like as information magnets of the area, wihout having any idea about its past, which animals have been bought and sold as a big animal market.

5. CONCLUSION

When we have visited these architectonics in Paris with our students, they will have a mind with enlarged dimension to design their coming architectural projects with perfectly solved details, in a tripal composition as declared in Vitruvius’s receipt, technological, functional and beautiful. We can define this strategy as a short-cut for having a sacred outcome in the meaning of having an architectural solution in perfect level in construction with technology, in design with functional solutions and as a result in beauty of total. By technical excursions to site areas, students will be in the direct touch with society in the service of the universe, just before they will become a special part of that society later. Architectonics may be accepted as still just some steps to be able to reach to the pefect level of the universe.

6. REFERENCES

Bermudez, Julio, 2010, Featured Articles: “Architecture Live: Using Science to Unravel Venustas’ Phenomenology”, Architectural Research Centers Consortium; Newsletter Fall 2010, Year 34, Issue 2, p.2-6. Guillemin, Victor, 1985, The story of Quantum Mechanics. Dover Publications, Inc.,USA. Levy, John M., 2006, Contemporary Urban Planning. Seventh Edition. Pearson, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Pallasmaa, Juhani, 2007, The eyes of the skin. Architecture and the senses. Preface by Steven Holl. Wiley, GB.