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Viaduc des Arts Type | Case Study, 2017 Advisor | John McMinn Location | Paris, France
Viaduc des Arts 40
The reuse of railway infrastructure in Paris through the Viaduct of Arts inspired the creation of the High Line in New York, which similarly repurposes an elevated railway line into a public, linear park. This ultimately leads to the question: what is the purpose of adapting infrastructure, and how are cities responding to it? In studying and comparing the Viaduct of Arts and the High Line, the impact of these projects becomes clear. Socially, the projects create new public space, directly responding to city growth. Economically, they open up the opportunity for commerce, becoming a form of culture and entertainment in the city. Architecturally, they provide visual relief, mitigating our current relationship with infrastructure. Finally, they use the existing railway lines to create new relationships at both an elevated level and at grade. The act of adapting infrastructure in this way ties the city together, breathing new life into abandoned infrastructure.