fez, Morocco

Place Lalla Yeddouna: A Neighborhood in the Medina of Fez, Marocco

International project competition in two Phases

Maurizio Andruetto & Monica Deri Architetti

Sheet 1

Partecipazione alla prima fase del concorso internazionale per il progetto di recupero di Place Lalla Yeddouna a Fez, Marocco.

Sheet 2

http://www.phase1.de/projects_projectcompetition-fez_results_e.htm

Sheet 3

Our idea of redevelopment of Place Lalla Yeddouna is mainly based on research of the historical and cultural roots of its area. As the Medina of Fez was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981, preserving the cultural heritage and integrity of the area was of utmost importance for our project. In particular, the neighborhood “place Lalla Yeddouna” is a strategic location at the nucleus of Fez Bali, the old city of Fez. This area, where the city was founded on the two banks of the river Fez, was one of the key links between the two sides of the old city. They are connected by the Bin Lamdoun bridge, which is one of Place Lalla Yeddouna’s important historic and architectural features. As a matter of fact, the river Fez has always been a sort of melting pot for Qarawiyine and Andalusian cultures , which have been living together in Fez for centuries. In our project idea, the river Fez will return to be the focal point of city life and the bridge Bin Lamdoun will represent the privileged access to it. The bridge will give the possibility of overlooking the river through a series of baffles put on its parapets. Our project has not sought an international styling, but has tried to re-create a kind of “seam” between the old and new style, restoring dilapidated structures in the area and rebuilding where necessary. We tried to work in compliance with the languages, colors, materials of local culture, in a continuous search for architectural identity. The idea of the project consists of the construction of new routes between the square, the river and the buildings, seeking to transform the whole area into a sort of large rihad, where the public activities of production, trade and exchange of local products, powered by the new sightseeing paths, will meet with the customs and the intimacy of private homes and gardens. In this light, the square will become a meeting place not only for the local community, but also for tourism in the medina, in a continuous exchange between the Oriental tradition and Western innovation . The site will be a major catalyst for artisan development, with spaces for educational programs, residences, artisan production, but also hotel, shops, restaurants, terraces, cafes and other services. The river, appropriately revalued, will become a living space within the town, linked to the new planned road system. The foot bridge located in the north of the area will be moved in line with the existing road network, acquiring new relevance in the area and also allowing access for the disabled, for emergency vehicles and for trade carts . This new road will be connected with the square through the reopening of the passage of Bab el Courna, which will become one of the new privileged accesses to the square. The new bridge will be located in the south area and connected to the planned road system by the partial demolition of the buildings (ground floor) identified by the numbers II and II-06-04. This new route will allow a link among the Derb Chouck Jamal, the square Yeddouna Lalla, the Bab and the Noob Derb Chouara, creating a new easier and more structured fabric of the town. From the foot bridge located north and form Lambdoun Bin Bridge we planned also some pedestrian paths leading onto the river, from which you can access the city’s public services (post offices, shops) and on which you can go sightseeing the medina in a continuous exchange between town functionality and development of tourism. Obviously, at this stage, our proposal for redevelopment is merely an approach, especially as regards the zone II and III since it was not possible to have a thorough knowledge of the internal spaces and their actual structure both vertically and horizontally. So the proposal is mainly related to a philosophy of action which we think well identifiable in the produced material. With regard to the re-use proposals in zone II, we strictly adhered to the will of preserving buildings and some functions of the same type are brought together, without wall divisions and placing furniture to divide the place, to obtain the floor area required by the Competition Rules(see productions Exhibition artisan’s stores). To encourage everyday life along the river, we have included various activities in the buildings surrounding it, new places to live and walk. To enhance the traditional vocation of the place, the river will enliven the public life and will activate the exchange between different working and cultural situations. Everything has been designed to achieve an opening to the outside, enhancing the river and intending the whole area as an area aggregation instead of the border between different cultures as it has been until now. In this way the Oued Boukhrareb will become important for profitable exchanges between people of different cultures. The external paving will be done with stone material already in the field and inserts of local stone, preserving even the large boulders placed along the river. Pavement placed along the river will be realized in grit with variable colors, all in soft tones, with a design simulating water flowing; in the area of ascent from the river we planned a cobbled drowned in the binder. With regard to the steps which lead from the river to the sightseeing paths identified in the project, the risers will be covered in mosaics of ceramic and the treads will have the same flooring material of the square.The lighting system on routes will be implemented with grazing lights. The new pedestrian crossings over the river will be entirely made of wood. Along the river there will be a lighting system placed at about one meter from the swing of the water witht the light looking toward the stretch of the river to escape light pollution. We have given recognition of the functions within them to the buildings we dealt with through a wise use of holes, doors, windows and coloring. The materials used are those of the traditional culture of Fez,restoring the skill of local craftsmen and enhancing their qualities. The floors and internal structures will be made of wood with appropriate stiffening screeds and floors will be of polished grit or tadelakt or, in some cases of stone or ceramic. Existing window frames and glasses will be recovered and new ones will be built using the same technique and the same colours as those existing according to the local tradition. The façades will be finished with varying lime plaster surfaces with rough, medium and smooth grain and even, in some cases, scratched pictures. The interiors, especially the most prestigious ones, will be finished in tadelakt, too. The chosen colorings will be all of light colors, according to the local tradition. The existing railings will be restored and we will use the same technique for those of new construction, later they will be treated with oil to protect them from rust. The conduits the utilities will be buried in the horizontal sections and incorporated into the external conduit or concealed within the walls in the vertical sections. We also planned to build water tanks to collect rainwater. As regards the cooling of buildings we will use a natural system called the “tower of the wind’ operating through holes and slits on the building. We would also arrange to provide experimental solar energy through to solar cells films incorporated into the shade clothes placed between the buildings on the streets and the square. The buildings in zone I were cleared of all superfluous by working with the utmost respect of the restoration, in order to have the opportunity to enjoy their original splendor. In some cases, the size of the required spaces forced the removal of dividing historical or historicized walls in order to meet the stated floor area, as a consequence, owing to the design philosophy we had adopted, we did not open streets in this direction, but we respected the original structure. Dealing with the built fabric, we have identified some mills powered by water power. A more detailed study would lead to a knowledge of the network of water that fed them and certainly a restoration would highlight a past production which will characterize and enhance local identity. Our project proposal, dealing with the intrinsic fabric of places, mainly upgrade the community spaces along the river and Place Lalla Yeddouna. Strengthening the crossings at Oued Boukhrareb, the permeability of the routes and stopping and exchange points has been increased whilst fully respecting the existing buildings, enhancing every area and every building on the site.

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Place Lalla Yeddouna: A Neighborhood in the Medina of Fez, Marocco