Par Romain HUYNH
Published on 18 Feb 24 at 7:44 See my news Follow 76actu
In Le Havre, it is everywhere: on posters, mugs, as decorations to hang on the walls… the Le Havre “skyline”, this very characteristic silhouette which stands out above the horizon, is the subject of a exhibition at City Hall until February 24, 2024.
“The notion of a skyline immediately brings to mind Manhattan”, notes Joséphine Billey, landscaper at the Le Havre Region Urban Planning Agency (AURH). On this side of the Atlantic, Le Havre is often compared to New York. All things considered, we do indeed find some similarities in the landscapes.
Horizon and verticality
” First we must a horizon flat and clear,” explains Joséphine Billey, “that we can take in with our eyes.” The Manhattan peninsula is a model of its kind, and Le Havre seen from the sea stands out distinctly from the horizon.
“The skyline is also inseparable from the notion of verticality,” continues the AURH landscaper. In New York it is obvious, the skyscrapers rise above the sea. In Le Havre, in more modest proportions, it is the Saint-Joseph church which stands out with all its height.
An exhibition dedicated to representations of Le Havre
From February 13 to 24, the town hall forum is hosting the exhibition “Looking at Le Havre, from the New York Skyline to the Le Havre silhouettes”. Organized by the Le Havre Estuaire de la Seine Urban Planning Agency (AURH), the event intends to “transform the way we look at the city”, according to Joséphine Billey, landscaper at AURH.
To create this exhibition, the AURH patiently listed 200 graphic representations of the Le Havre skyline, and took an interest in the elements that make it up: the Saint-Joseph church, the Porte Océane buildings, the EDF chimneys, etc.
The objective: to get visitors to think about the faces of a city in constant change.
Two cities, one light
This recognizable silhouette is not the only trait common to the two cities. The photographer Vincent Rustuel had also dedicated an exhibition to it in 2022. “Manhattan is a peninsula bordered by an arm of the sea,” he explains. “In the same way, Auguste Perret wanted the sea to enter everywhere in the rebuilt city. »
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This has a particular impact on the light that bathes Le Havre like New York. “In both cities, we can see cloud bottoms developing on the seabed. This gives very particular contrasts. » And on the Perret buildings with such geometric shapes, according to the photographer this gives “ angles of light, clear and chiselled shadows« .
Moreover, on both sides of the Atlantic, geometry is everywhere. For Vincent Rustuel, who claims to have “discovered New York in 2010 with a Le Havre perspective”, the parallel and perpendicular boulevards and avenues are very reminiscent of the construction of North American cities. The elements of comparison are therefore numerous, and are certainly not unrelated to the cinematographic “rating” acquired by the oceanic city in recent years, particularly with the recent series Of Grace.
Practical information :
The exhibition “Looking at Le Havre, from the New York Skyline to the Le Havre silhouettes” can be visited at the town hall forum from Monday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Guided tours on February 19 at 1 p.m. and February 20 at 5:30 p.m.
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2024-02-18 06:44:01
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