Bercy’s “Jardin de la Mémoire”

Abstract

The Parc de Bercy may be interpreted in light of the descriptive name given its design by creators Bernard Huet, Marylène Ferrand, Jean-Pierre Feugas, Ian Le Caisne, and Philippe Raguin. Constructed on the former site of wine warehouses in southeast Paris as “Jardin de la mémoire,” its elements refer to the history of its site. Its ruins and restored buildings blend with contemporary features, suggesting a process originating in philosopher Walter Benjamin’s theory of allegory. Benjamin linked the accumulation and perception of meaning in ruin and allegorical devices in such a way that allegorical ruin not only catalyzes nostalgic memory but also opens a path to future meaning. Philosopher Jean Lauxerois has addressed the melancholic strain of allegorical ruin in relation to gardens, while literary critic Craig Owen has offered updated formulation of Benjamin’s understanding of allegory’s creative potential. This interpretation of the ruins and by extension the entire park as allegory reveals both its focus on remembering and its openness to new accumulations of meaning and history. Its design process likewise may be considered an allegorical effort to bring forth new meanings based on preexisting detail. French landscape theorist Sébastien Marot’s concept of phenomenal transparency supports this view.