Draft:Halles du Boulingrin

The content of this article is translated from the existing French Wikipedia article at fr:Halles centrales de Reims; see its history for attribution.

Halles du Boulingrin

The central halls, known as the Boulingrin halls, house a covered market located at the northern edge of downtown Reims.

Characteristics

Located near the Porte Mars, the halls are situated on an island formed by Boulingrin, Temple, Mars, and Olivier-Metra streets. On a rectangular base of 49 m (161 ft) by 109 m (358 ft), the concrete walls, with a thickness of 7 cm (2.8 in), converge at their center, forming a parabola arching over the stalls at a height of 19.85 m (65.1 ft) with a span of 38.26 m (125.5 ft), supported by a large set of exterior load-bearing walls. These walls rest on 274 concrete piles. Access is facilitated by two large gates—one at each longitudinal end—complemented by four lateral "doors" named after nearby rivers (the Suippe, the Marne, the Vesle, and the Aisne). The doors are treated with greenish polished cement, called Lap. The doors are paired with glass panels that divide the structure into three parts. All these bays are adorned with glass panels that diffuse a yellow light.

The interior layout includes a high promenade served by a central staircase on stilts, a section raised by one meter hosting the wholesale market, the western part with permanent cells for some merchants, and an open central area.

A year after its opening, leaks were detected, and in 1942, pieces of concrete began to detach from the vault, necessitating the installation of protective mesh in 1959. Freyssinet's expertise in 1957 concluded that premature aging and excessive condensation on the intrados were caused by a lack of ventilation.

History

The Halles were born as a result of an architectural competition opened in 1922 for the construction of a wholesale and retail market as part of Georges B. Ford's reconstruction plan. They replaced the former building, which was destroyed during the First World War, and was located at the Place du Forum. On May 4, 1923, the project by architect Émile Maigrot was selected by the municipality, and it was carried out from 1927 to 1929 by the company Claude Limousin, designated in 1926, with the technical director being Eugène Freyssinet. Freyssinet developed a "formwork-stripping on sliding centering" method particularly suited to the building's morphology. The building opened on 30 October 1929.

• 
  En 1927,
• 
  en 1928.

The building, which withstood World War II, was abandoned in 1988 for safety reasons, and the municipality then considered demolishing it. Under the impetus of Jack Lang, then Minister of Culture, the Halles were classified as a Historic Monument by decree on January 9, 1990, following significant popular mobilization.

Renovation

From 1991, studies were conducted to define the restoration and future of the structure. The building, having fallen into disrepair and abandoned to its fate, was open to all elements. Some began to refer to it as an "eyesore" in the heart of Reims, suggesting it would be better to demolish it. Several projects were proposed, ranging from the simple reinstallation of the weekly market, which was held under a tent in the adjacent parking lot, to the extension of the building on this square with the construction of a parking lot, to move the Museum of Fine Arts there. After several contradictory announcements, the architectural project led by the chief architect of historical monuments François Chatillon (architect) was adopted at the end of 10 September by the former municipal team of Jean-Louis Schneiter, and studies were launched in 10 September. At the end of 10 September, the new mayor Adeline Hazan announced an opening scheduled for 14 February 2012. The project aimed to restore the building's original appearance while reinforcing it. The work, estimated to cost €31 million (with €8.3 million financed by the State and €0.3 by the Champagne-Ardenne region), began in 10 September. 2150 glass pavers for a glazed area of 900 square metres (9,700 sq ft), tiles, and faience were entrusted to the Céramique du Beaujolais company, which had originally manufactured them. The waterproofing was redone from the outside while respecting the matte appearance of the cement.

The inauguration of the central halls took place on 14 September 2012, as part of the Heritage Days. The first market was held on Friday, September 21.

The restoration of the Boulingrin central halls received the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage 2015 awarded by the European Commission and Europa Nostra.

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  Adeline Hazan, maire et Jack Lang, qui les classa, inaugurent les nouvelles halles.
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  Rendues à la foule, inauguration.

Excavations

As part of a long-term cultural redevelopment of the district, preventive excavations were carried out, uncovering the medieval Porte de Mars.

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  Porte médiévale de Mars plan de 1718.
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  Fouilles préventives.
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  Sur les douves, le pont levis.

Views of the halls before renovation

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  Le portail des halles, rue de Mars.
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  Vue intérieure transversale.
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  Porte de la rivière Suippe, traitement en Lap vert.
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  Vue intérieure longitudinale.

Reuse

Currently, the halls have resumed their market function on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. They also serve as venues for cultural activities such as exhibitions and concerts.

In Architecture

The architecture of the halls inspired that of the covered market in Villefranche-sur-Saône.

Sources

• Halles du Boulingrin at Structurae Page on the 20th Century Heritage site of the Ministry of Culture

Moyat, Alain (26 June 2007). "Halles Boulingrin : l'avant projet adopté". L'Union. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |lien périodique= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url texte= ignored (help)

Moyat, Alain (14 August 2009). "REIMS / Restauration en vue. Des spécialistes au chevet des halles Boulingrin". L'Union. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |lien périodique= ignored (help); Unknown parameter |url texte= ignored (help)