Saturday 17 March 2007

Almost Nice: A Rant About Biot.

This photo should illustrate all that drives me nuts about provencal planning. Biot is a sublimely pretty village perched on its rocky outcrop. There it is on the skyline silhouetted against that magnificent Cote d'Azur sky. Now just take a glance at the monstrosity at the base of the hill. How could anyone imagine that the concrete bunker style of architecture would marry with the beauty of a provencal village?
The Gallery and the boutiques are part of the glass works complex for which Biot is famous, well, at least round here, and attracts huge numbers of visitors. This dirty, stained concrete should really be ripped down and replaced with something more sensitively designed.
What do you think? Am I nit picking or do I have a valid point?

13 comments:

alice said...

I know this village, have some glasses from there and agree ++with you about this ugly concrete thing!

Dsole said...

I totally agree with you!!
This ugly building shouldn't be there, at least it could more like the rest of town, more classic and appropiate!

tut-tut said...

Start a campaign to replace it!

GMG said...

OK. Everybody seems to agree that's awful.
I would say that it's not terrific, but I've seen much worse... Anyhow, I love Provence so much, that sometimes I simply «don't see» (or don’t want to see) the unattractive stuff there…
One day I’ll post some pictures from Provence at the main Blogtrotter!

isa said...

I think you are just tired from your roller blading and thus a bit cranky ;-)
However I see your point and ask - why have the city planners/commissioners allowed such structures? And why not vote them out!

Anonymous said...

I kind of agree with everybody (ain't that a cop out?). However the issue of blights on the landscape is a tough one, and one man's mediterranean paradise is another persons tough place to make a living. I find that sometimes one just has to ignore them, find a different viewpoint etc.

Sally said...

You're absolutely correct. Insensitive development drives me nuts too.

Gerald (SK14) said...

Alas it is a problem everywhere, but I have seen far worse examples than this.

Deb said...

You are exactly right-this is an abomination! The only thing missing is a McDonalds....

blueboat said...

It is shocking, isn't it? I sometimes wonder how people get planning permission for such hideous development - perhaps a backhander??

Jilly said...

Angela I so agree. I went for a walk in Gorbio village recently and one or two houses have been bought and done up. All good one might think in that a village house is saved but Lordy, Miz Claudy, the horrible modern way they've been restored has zilch in common with the medieval village in which they are situated. I don't know who is responsible for the permissions. Our Mayor is an artist and I'd have thought he'd have had a say. Who knows? Anyway I'm with you on the buildings below Biot. I've got a Biot lamp shade that someone kindly gave me. Beautiful glass from there.

love J x

Bela said...

Blech! I agree with tut-tut: start a campaign/petition.

phlegmfatale said...

I quite agree about the architecture of the glassworks, but I'm afraid one of the hallmarks of much of the 20th century's architecture is function over form - not well-thought out, at all. But as bad as this is, it could have been even worse.