Le parc Barbieux à Roubaix : de l’air pur pour une ville industrielle by Laurence BAUDOUX and Aline LE COEUR – Château de Bénouville

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Le parc Barbieux à Roubaix : de l’air pur pour une ville industrielle by Laurence BAUDOUX and Aline LE COEUR – Château de Bénouville

The Barbieux park in Roubaix: fresh air for an industrial town

The ‘Barbieux Garden’ in Roubaix is a remarkable example of the fine realisations that emerged under the Second French Empire. Initially entrusted to Jean-Pierre Barillet-Deschamps, the creator of the Buttes-Chaumont, the project’s implementation by his associate Georges Aumont and a number of the city’s architects was to continue up to the onset of the First World War.
The Barbieux park was designed as a prestigious promenade for the town of Roubaix’s high society, but also as a recreational area – in the noblest sense of the term – for the entire population of the industrial town, which was under extensive development at the time. And although one of Roubaix’s finest assets, it remains a relatively well-kept secret among its inhabitants.
Beyond the political and social dimensions of the venture, this conference will highlight the problems associated with managing and maintaining a listed garden site.

Laurence Baudoux

Laurence Baudoux is a university lecturer at the University of Artois (Arras) with an HDR certification to direct research work in the history of art. Her work focuses on architecture, decoration and gardens (16th-18th centuries).

Aline Le Cœur

The landscape architect and State landscaper-advisor, Aline Le Cœur obtained a CEA diploma in Historic Gardens and Landscapes (Versailles) and has conducted and coordinated several studies and development sites in collaboration with chief architects for the French historic monuments department: the parks and Châteaux de Joinville (Haute Marne), La Motte-Tilly (Aube), Azay-le-Rideau (Indre et Loire), Compiègne (Oise), d’Ermenonville (Oise) and the Villa Cavrois park in Croix (Nord). She conducted a study prior to the Barbieux park’s designation as a listed site. Based on knowledge of historic sources, compared with on-site realities, the study evaluates modifications over time and proposes intelligent solutions that are respectful of the spirit of the place, in a constant quest for economy of means, whilst guaranteeing its longevity.