Today, even though the name Mériadeck
comes from the Cardinal prince of Rohan,
Archbishop of Bordeaux in the XVIIIth
century, the name is associated with
the modern centre of the city, now known
as the "City Hall Quarter".
Until the end of the XVIth century,
this western part of the city was no
more than a vast swamp, although it
protected the city from undesirable
visitors, it was also a contributing
factor to the plague. Under the orders
of Cardinal François de Sourdis,
the area was drained, and the chartreux
started building work at the beginning
of the XVIIth century.
During the XIXth century, the quarter
saw the widespread building of Echoppes,
the traditional Bordelais style house
for workers and craftsmen.
In 1955, the city decided to renovate
the entire quarter, and in 1960 the
Société Bordelaise Mixte
de Rénovation Urbaine, was charged
with the construction of 300 habitations.
Jean Royer, City Architect designed
a plan for 12 story buildings that were
characteristic of the period. In 1963,
the renovation became the restructuring,
and the quarter became the administrative
and business centre, with business and
leisure facilities being added. In 1970,
Jean Willerval and Paul Lagarde joined
Jean Royer as architectural coordinators.
The original plan was redesigned to
integrate numerous administrative services
around a central garden. Pedestrians
and cars were separated thanks to separate
levels, and the height of buildings
was limited. |
