3.1 The aims of RehabiMed

Transcription

1 value of traditional architectural heritage, knowledge acquired thanks to the previous project, CORPUS. Reinforcing renovation activity takes on a particular significance in as far as it concerns a subsector with great economic potential that is an indicator of clear development. We must not forget that in Europe investment in renovation and maintenance of buildings amounts to 50% of construction sector activity, while in the countries of the southern and eastern Mediterranean this activity does not even reach 10%. 3.1 The aims of RehabiMed The RehabiMed project is part of the European Commission s Euromed Heritage programme. This is a cultural programme begun following the Euro- Mediterranean Conference in Barcelona in 1995, in order to create a collaboration space for the countries on the shores of the Mediterranean. Within this international context and thanks to an ambitious programme, RehabiMed has set the objective for its actions as the reinforcement of renovation activity as a factor for sustainable development in all Mediterranean countries. The starting point was a good knowledge of the The value of these actions has a double significance: firstly, it contributes to improving the living surroundings of residents and, secondly, it preserves the historical and cultural identity of the traditional architectural heritage, which increases in value every day. This is living heritage, and even more important if the building in question houses several families and stands in the heart of the modern town. Such heritage is also under strong economic and social pressure and, at the same time, shows difficulties in meeting modern housing needs. RehabiMed s objective is therefore to find a way and to establish a method establishing the balance between improving the living 24

2 surroundings of residents and preserving heritage, taking into account the three pillars of sustainability (economic, social and environmental). From this perspective, some thought must always be given to all agents involved in the renovation and their participation (political leaders/decisionmakers, the wide range of professionals involved and the residents). The method proposed by RehabiMed considers the renovation of traditional architecture in the context of a process of revitalising and regenerating the area. It is, moreover, an intervention on the physical environment and on the people it houses, ensuring its coherent adaptation to the needs of modern life. Renovation must be a slow, planned transformation process, with medium- and long-term objectives. From a technical point of view, the RehabiMed Method proposes the ordering and systemisation of the stages of the renovation process (orientation, diagnosis, strategy, action and follow-up), with the identification of the tools and instruments to be considered (technical, administrative and legal) for managing and developing them. And, at the same time it provides criteria for helping with reflection on the problems and strategies to be put in place to ensure the success of the process. When it came to drawing up the content of the RehabiMed project in 2001, four renovation vectors were retained: Renovation and urban landscape (Lefkara, Cyprus); Renovation and craftspeople (Cairo, Egypt); Renovation and sustainable tourism (Kairouan, Tunisia) and Renovation and social action (Marrakech, Morocco). 3.2 Cultural tourism in Kairouan Kairouan appears among the cities that pioneered cultural tourism in Tunisia. The Okba mosque has always impressed foreign visitors, painters and writers. The most illustrious of them, Guy de Maupassant, wrote in 1899: The unique harmony of this temple comes from the proportion and number of these light columns that support the building; they fill it, populate it and make it what it is, creating its grace and its grandeur. Their coloured multitude gives the eye the impression there is no limit, while the low extension of the building gives the soul a sensation of weight. Meanwhile, Paul Klee marvelled at the city, writing in 1914: Kairouan not an isolated impression but a whole. The thousand-and-one nights, such a penetrating and intoxicating aroma, elucidating at the same time... Moreover, at the start of international tourism in Tunisia at the beginning of the 20 th century, Kairouan appeared among the most important destinations and stages on the itineraries of groups of tourists coming to Tunisia. So, in 1951, of 73,000 tourists who visited Tunisia, 15,000 went to Kairouan. After the explosion of seaside and beach tourism, its decline became alarming, from the 90s onwards. So, the number of tourists buying tickets to visit the city s monuments moved from 264,000 in 1975 to 243,000 in 1995, while the number of tourists visiting Tunisia tripled. This alarming situation led to a reconsideration among the public authorities, with the establishment of an ambitious strategy to promote cultural tourism in Kairouan and make it one of the pillars of the economic development of the city. So, at a ministerial council devoted to the Kairouan region and held in June 2004, the President of the Republic ordered the carrying out of a study of cultural tourism in Kairouan. This favourable context explains the decision that the Rehabimed project should carry out a pilot action devoted to Tunisia on the theme: Renovation and sustainable tourism in Kairouan. After agreement with the regional authorities and the representatives of several associations, it was decided that the pilot action should be devoted to reorganising and renovating the Place Jraba. 25

3 3.3 The renovation of the Place Jraba Nowadays, historic centres are undergoing a real revolution in methods of occupying urban space. The destruction of local urban and architectural mechanisms, accompanied nowadays by great demographic pressure, generate sometimes alarming new situations requiring the establishment of actions and the definition of fast and effective strategies for interventions, preservation and development. These actions should make it possible to introduce a fertile dynamic likely to ensure the development of new economic activities such as tourism. Today, these activities form an important source of income with a positive effect on heritage. Based on this, one of the first priorities should be to ensure preservation of these remains and to begin development actions looking after the conservation and revitalisation of tourist sites, considered as having great tourism potential, to be exploited very carefully, in a proper, measured way. The nature of the Kairouan medina in terms of culture and tourism, and particularly the Place Jraba, must be reinforced. Taking into account the culture involved means preserving the important characteristics of the historic centre, a meeting place par excellence for all expressions of culture. So, preserving the architectural character of squares and historic districts must not block the real development of the city. Sight must not be lost of the fact that this is a living city, playing an important economic and social role, which must be reinforced by a new role concerning tourism. Reconciling the cultural and economic issues must be translated into a relative interest shaping a programme to enliven the Place Jraba, which must make it a competitive urban space capable of offering its residents benefits equivalent to those they could find elsewhere and acting as node in the tourist circuit linking the southern gate of the city with the Great Mosque. This is the basis of our reorganisation and revitalisation project. This conciliation is not easy to achieve. It is complex and delicate and involves intervention on an ancient fabric full of history. 26

4 Inauguration of RehabiMed seminar Inauguration of the exhibition Living in the Mediterranean So, giving more weight to cultural and tourist issues could block the adaptation of the square to the needs of everyday life. Conversely, stressing the objective of revitalising the square without taking the necessary precautions and control methods could, in time, see the character of the square and its immediate surroundings lost and end us disfiguring the stock of buildings we are seeking to preserve. For this reason, the reorganisation and revitalisation of Place Jraba must take into account the objectives of improving the building stock, seeking to maintain the level of activity characteristic of an important square in Kairouan Medina and integrating it into the tourism circuit, the main way of developing new activities in Kairouan Medina. 3.4 Seminar: Renovation and sustainable tourism in Kairouan From 19 to 26 June a Rehabimed seminar took place in the city of Kairouan entitled: Renovation and sustainable tourism. It was the 4 th seminar held by Rehabimed and its basic aim was to analyse the way that the systemisation of interventions on traditional heritage intended for tourism management were coexisting with traditions and allowing sustainable development respecting the environment. Those at the conference experts in renovation of traditional architecture were explained both the methodology and the analysis of the works carried out in Tunisia. This seminar also made it possible to draw up a draft study concerning the reorganisation of the Place Jraba, the pilot operation. Linked to the seminar and basically intended to raise the awareness of the 27

5 population, the exhibition: Living in the Mediterranean was organised in Kairouan before touring other Tunisian towns and cities Place Jraba The Place Jraba has a historic air, playing the role of shopping centres, with the shops of weavers, wool spinners and dyers. It was reorganised at the beginning of the 20 th century. Some shops were demolished and the square was expanded. It then became a node linking the main arteries at the heart of the medina. This area, the subject of our intervention, covers an area of 1000m 2 and brings together important facilities: a mosque, a dispensary, souks, the Mosque of the Three Gates and the Moulay Taieb mausoleum. Since 1995, the entire artery linking the southern gate of the medina to the Great Mosque, constituting one of the most important tourist circuits in the medina, more than 800m long, has been renovated and reorganised. Its façades have been renovated, the electrical and telephone networks buried, the ground paved, some houses restored and direction signs put in place. The craftsmans of Jraba square 28

6 Location map 29

7 Only the Place Jraba, which occupies a central position within the circuit, has been left out. Even worse, a similar renovation scheme, financed by a loan from the World Bank, concerning the arteries running alongside the Great Mosque and other zones of the medina, has been abandoned, despite their importance and strategic position. This operation covers all kinds of interventions likely to be undertaken in the medina concerning access, activities, beautification, housing and the environment. On the basis of a general diagnosis of the square and its surroundings, we established the main problems requiring intervention and proceeded to define a reorganisation plan which we have succeeded in putting into practice, making it possible to ensure the proper operation of the square and an improvement of its appearance, which has recovered its previous vitality and dynamism Purpose of the study The purpose of the reorganisation study of the Place Jraba is to propose to the authorities an operational programme for developing, reorganising and renovating it. The main tasks are defined as follows: Assessment of the extent and nature of the problems affecting the square. Identification of a set of actions required to respond to the various problems affecting the Place Jraba. Proposal for a coherent approach for the revitalisation and development of the square The intervention scheme This involves integrating the square into the tourist circuit of the Kairouan Medina (from Bab Jalladine to the Great Mosque Okba Ibn Nafaa). The aim is to confirm its role as a body linking the different tourist circuits crossing the Medina, essentially the itinerary connecting the Great Mosque with the traditional souks. The Place Jraba should serve as a point of attraction, a pleasant stopping place marked by the presence of an existing traditional cafe, the restoration of souvenir shops, the establishment of a ceramic sign board making sure the tourists are directed to the different historic monuments of the Medina and also the reorganisation of the weaving shops, the manufacture of traditional gloves and the making up of traditional costume, in order to encourage craftspeople. The reorganisation strategy we adopted was simple and credible to manage the anticipation in a positive sense in order to prevent degradation that could kill the character of the square, and instead make it into an interesting place, a potential space reinvested with new functions capable of revitalising and creating rampant dynamism. The strategy we applied includes simultaneous actions detailed as follows: 1. The improvement of accessibility, which is the basis for the development of the urban fabric. The solutions we adopted for the introduction of car traffic in the square are subtle ones. This has made it possible to prevent the square becoming uncomfortable because of traffic, without, however, isolating it. The pairing of these two functions requires a technical effort to achieve the important reconciliation that has made it possible to avoid conflict between pedestrians and vehicle traffic. 2. The control and guidance of economic activities made it possible to keep only those compatible with the square, in order to ensure the improvement of public and environmental services (water, sewerage, lighting, domestic refuse collection) 30

8 3. The enrichment of the urban space is one of our first concerns. In fact, the aim of our actions is to ameliorate the deterioration of the appearance of the square and its immediate environment. We agreed a particular interest in the aesthetic repertoire of the architectural elements involved in the design of urban spaces and which must not be disturbed, but rather completed by new interventions. Under no circumstances must any intervention cause a rupture; on the contrary, a direct comparison must be made between the historical situation and the current state. The new interventions must be measured so they can be integrated into the existing structure. 4. Heritage conservation, particularly through the restoration, reuse, recovery and renovation of monuments. 5. The establishment of signs for the tourist circuit. These five themes form the skeleton of a strategy that guided the spirit of our intervention. They represent the entire reorganisation and revitalisation for the Place Jraba. Because of its strategic position in the middle of a great artery, running from Sidi Abid to the Great Mosque (the great tourist circuit of the Medina), the Place Jraba is provided with exceptional status, allowing it to occupy a select place in the definition of an important tourism halt. Then, the installation of leisure facilities, a cafe, a large terrace and shady areas, associated with the ambiance of the square, encourages the arrival of visitors who now take advantage of the peacefulness of the square which has been made possible by: The restoration of shops. The articulation between the focal point, which is the Place Jraba, and the different circuits. Raising the status of the square so it becomes a point of interaction. The encouragement and development of crafts Methodology and means of intervention We proceeded in the following way to carry out our proposed reorganisation 31

9 passage towards the different points of Kairouan medina, has been subject to an assessment that allowed us to spell out effective actions, to achieve solutions, to organise repertoires, like the stress in a composition the insertion and integration of a public building into a block, the consideration of a system of operation in order to attempt to hide and mask the gaps of recent constructions, to succeed in re-establishing the lost balance and to bring life back to the square making a true resurrection possible. and renovation of the façades in the Place Jraba: In a first phase, we went ahead with a detailed analysis concerning the buildings, the housing and the facilities overlooking the square, taking into account the links connecting the various components of the square and their organisation into an overall structure. What provides the specificity of traditional urban organisation. The specific analysis of this part of Kairouan Medina was approached: As a whole that had to be observed, cut up, organised and recomposed. As a set of elements that needed to be recognised, reassembled and articulated. The spirit of our intervention is located in the comings and goings between these two points of view. It is this reading that has allowed us to define the links, the limits and all the possibilities offered by our intervention space. At a first phase, this place, a structuring space used for parking and necessary At a second phase, we tried to assimilate the principles of organisation, the composition of traditional façades forming the reference model for future interventions. A detailed diagnosis of all the situations has allowed interventions that can ensure the stability and the preservation of the appearance of the square and finally ameliorate the negative situations disfiguring its general appearance. The technical solutions we succeeded in putting into practice are compatible with traditional construction techniques, observed in the course of our analysis, reading and understanding of the mechanisms structuring the traditional space of Kairouan Medina. 32

10 Part of the ancient heart of Kairouan, Place Jraba is next to the souk of the Jerbans, who were famous for their work in weaving Kairouan woollen bedcovers, as well as black washcloths. Nowadays, the souk has lost this specialisation and now sells craft products demanded by tourist activity. There are currently some weaving workshops in the immediate surroundings of the square. Nearer to the souk, the square occupies an important site including landmark monuments, including the Ibn Khayroun or Three Gates Mosque, which it directly adjoins, the Sidi Abid el Ghariania zaouia and Bir Barouta. Even the Great Mosque is only a few minutes walk away. Once in the square, you can find a dispensary, weaving workshops and shops providing various services: (hairdresser, greengrocer, taxi-phone, motorcycle repair...) and an electricity transformer occupying a focal point. Apart from one side, the square is surrounded by buildings whose façades show no architectural or historical interest. The degraded state of the ground and the unhealthiness of the place (nauseating odours and rubbish) denote a state of abandonment, poor exploitation and disorder. The outstanding problems are summarised as follows: Façades where the architectural language is foreign to the local style. Absence of paving. Incompatible commercial activities. Mixed pedestrian and vehicle activity. In itself, the electrical transformer poses a problem concerning its connections, its purpose and its ugly architectural expression. Our observations led us to consider the outstanding problems by category of intervention. The following situations can be distinguished: The buildings Recent volumes without real historical interest showing poor, ugly architectural expression from the point of view of proportion, style and layout. Volumes making up the ancient fabric but showing architectural elements as inappropriate as the above ones. The ground Ground which is unpaved and shows no traces demonstrating its authenticity. The platform is not delimited. The street furniture Mediocre signing (writing on walls, metal boards...) Absence of street lighting Absence of protection from the sun The operations carried out: The operations we carried out touched on the following levels: The buildings An intervention on the recent buildings proceeding to remodel the volumes when necessary and recompose the architectural elements, which are replaced by Kairouan elements and prototypes. An intervention not touching the volumes judged to be coherent, but concerning only the architectural elements, replaced by the chosen prototypes. Other elements will contribute to beautifying the façades. The ground Drawing up a paving plan formed by modules making it possible to geometrise and make perceptible the size of the square, leading to a better distribution and organisation of the activities carried out there. The plan also programmes the introduction of an architectural 33

11 element, a sculpture installed in tune with the place in order to mark its central nature. Away from the traffic, the square can be used for cultural and tourist activities held in light structures whose support elements are established in the paving plan. The street furniture New signing is proposed in tune with the spirit of the square. Lighting elements for the square are inserted so as to be discreet, achieving sufficient light for lighting the square and being able to use it at night. Night-time shows are planned to ensure tourist entertainment, such as the celebration of the festival of light. Covers linking the volumes surrounding the little access alleys to the square are conceived in the form of fully vaulted arches. One of the two large accesses is provided with a cover in the form of a pergola made up of wooden joists in the image of that of the great road of the souks. The other access is covered by a masonry sabbat linked to the other volumes to announce the square Usages and building height plan: The consideration of the different demands drawn up following the elaboration of the survey to assess the importance of the Place Jraba in Kairouan Medina, as well as spreading interest in the operations carried out to renovate the square, led us 34

12 to propose the appropriate usages of the renovated spaces. In a place judged favourable for the integration and acceptance of a new intervention, we were led to seek to recreate the lost aesthetic order in order to reconcile this urban whole with the whole of Kairouan Medina. So the F1 façade, on the weavers souk side, and that of section F3, on the electrical transformer side, were respectively altered in our study into a series of shops fronted by a long portico and, in place of the transformer, shops and a tourism sign board. The wooden portico installed in front of the shops contributes to raising the standard of the place, which had very poorly considered, and giving it a consistent architectural expression, ensuring the preservation of the site and its future spirit. Certain activities, such as the repair of motorcycles and the sale of vegetables (which unless they are submitted to rules concerning hygiene and strict presentation of merchandise) are considered as polluting activities and require a new use. In addition, with a view to providing the square with a cultural character, it is proposed to associate a cyber cafe and an art gallery with its activities, without, however, removing the popular imprint from the place. We therefore thought it useful to establish Ouled el Gabsia, Leblabi specialists and sellers of fritters there. Our concept of the place may seem unrealistic, but we are convince of the feasibility of the project which, beyond the architectural design, is intended to establish collective awareness of the importance of the square and the ancient fabric in general Alterations carried out The eleven actions carried out are as follows: Creation of a pergola 4.50m long from end to end marking the importance of the passage leading to the cafe and the souks and creating a large shaded area. Elimination of the transformer by demolition in order to open up the square and ensure that the Mosque of the Three Gates is visible. Planting of 4 palm trees and a group of bougainvillea bushes to reinforce the greenery of the square. Redesign of the occupation of the dispensary façade to make an attractive entrance similar to that of Moulay Taeib. Creation of a repetitive module structuring the understanding of the paved surface of the square. Establishment of directional signs, with a map indicating the main points to visit and information about the main monuments in the adjacent area. Establishment of a pavement running along the south-east and south-west of the small square. Proposal of vertical elements to punctuate the space of the square, serving as a support for appropriate lighting. The building in the north-east (Zouabi property) required particular interest. The usage proposed is to organise tourist shops with a view to enlivening the square Description of the works Drawing up a detailed diagnosis was a fundamental stage in providing a proper basis for all the actions undertaken. Along these lines, we succeeded in locating the critical points and situations that required a somewhat quicker and more urgent intervention, and also the objectives that had to respect the economic and social conditions with a view to creating dynamism around Place Jraba. 35

13 Different study perspectives of the project for reorganise Plaça Jraba 36

14 37

15 38

16 39

17 This was possible after drawing up a detailed action plan spelling out the operations and the phases of implementation and the order of synchronisation of each action programmed and carried out. This reflection concerning the establishment of a scenario has made it possible to define the phases of implementation relating to the particular nature of the area of intervention. Given the pressure concerning the time taken for implementation, we proceeded to define an action plan that was put into practice by into consideration two areas: the first concerns the continuation of the treatment of the ground after paving to the implementation and installation of street furniture and the second focuses its interest on aspects relating to the renovation of façades. The buildings The plan below presents and details the division and delimitation of the sections, which are linked by an organisational logic (linking criteria connected to implementation, organisation of the façade, its orientation and state of preservation). This division has allowed us to list four areas of intervention on buildings: Weavers souks sector: F 1 Dispensary sector: F 2 Ibn Khayroun II mosque sector: F 3 Rue Khadraouin sector: F 4 The actions carried out Weavers souks sector: This area is made up of two independent bodies separated by a wide passage opening into a square that brings together the majority of the weavers shops. The body is made up of a ground floor grouping four poorly maintained shops. The works carried out consisting of the replacement of all carpentry showing signs of advanced degradation and that which is not compatible with the characteristic language of Kairouan Medina. The partial replacement of roofs proved necessary given the problems of leaks observed during the creation and replacement of the parapet. A wooden gallery makes it possible to enrich the sequence as a whole by introducing a new element of architectural vocabulary. A well-decorated portico was installed in order to introduce a new element capable of creating an area of shadow and uniting all the shops. The large building is considered as an intruder in the urban landscape of the square as its excessive height exceeds 15m and leads to a visual imbalance and the absence of articulation between the two bodies. The action carried out at this level is intended to re-establish the balance between the two volumes. The proposition corrected with much redrafting approached the definition of a pergola ensuring a link between the two buildings and promoting the creation of an area of shadow. The building itself was taken back to the ground floor with the construction of an incipient gallery (see model) correcting the presence of an overhang over the road which was poorly structured and which broke with the architectural vocabulary of the Medina. On the first floor, a treatment of the facing in Kairouan solid bricks has made it possible to soften the effect of height and ensure a new appreciation of this building in the urban landscape of the square. Dispensary sector: The programmed action consists of proceeding with a new composition of the architectural elements in order to give it a new, coherent and harmonious image. The demolition of the existing fence has made it possible to extend the dispensary entrance. Access, ensured by a large entrance porch similar to that of the Moulay Taieb mausoleum, has taken on the importance of an entrance to a public space. 40

18 Ibn Khayroun II mosque sector The presence of the electricity transformer occupying a strategic point of the square without any concern for connections with the urban fabric formed an intrusive element disfiguring the Place Jraba as a whole. Its demolition has provided a new view of the square and a new functionality. The shops around the transformer were disused and their roofs had collapsed, but everything has been reconditioned. The establishment of signs occupying the place of the transformer has made it possible to establish a new attraction integrated into the general spirit of the square. Rue Khadraouin sector The shops used as grocers and overlooking the square, had strange metal openings out of keeping with the architectural language of the Medina. The operation carried out has consisted of replacing the carpentry and repairing the rendering that was sometimes deteriorated over a large part of the façade. The ground The Place Jraba measures 1000m². It is a platform for meeting and communication totally neglected through the absence of an organisation to manage the flow of pedestrians and vehicles. This space, which could form a really pleasant stopping place for tourists to enjoy, is sadly in a state of total abandonment and does not promote any desire to stay there, despite its excellent position in the middle of the great artery linking Sidi Abid to the Great Mosque of Kairouan. We have paved the square in order to allow it to be brought back up to standard and to attempt to remove all the inconveniences we have already mentioned. The paving consists of a square module separated by smooth slabs and filled in with hard cut stones called Jars. This action was undertaken in order to endow the square with a federative role, bringing together all consumers of the Medina space (residents and visitors). 41

19 Façade 1 Before the action During the action After the finishing Façade 2 Before the action During the action After the finishing 42

20 Façade 3 Before the action During the action After the finishing Façade 4 Before the action During the action After the finishing 43