ARCHITECTURE
Paris Exhibition, 1937
THE Exposition is very much on the mind of Paris at the moment. Not only are the normal channels of publicity—the
Press, the posters, the news-reels—churning with stunts and information ; but also there is a genuine public interest in the progress of its preparation, and a genuine, sometimes almost a pathetic, faith in the magnitude of the benefit to France which a successful exhibition will bring. The attraction of a large body of tourists is expected, and it is plausibly hoped that this will lead to a large, even to a permanent, improvement in em- ployment and trade. Meanwhile no pains are being spared to make the exhibition a success. A great area directly to the West of the Place de la Concorde is being transformed. The Trocadero has been largely rebuilt, and from there past the Eiffel Tower through the Champ de Mars are rising not only the French pavilions, but also the halls which will hold the exhibits of different foreign countries. The Champ de Mars is at present inhabited by workers from all parts of the world. Many of them speak no French. The Germans are well segre- gated, and the Italians seem suspicious, but elsewhere there is any amount of fraternisation. Different nationals chatter together each in their own language, and understand at least that they feel goodwill towards one another. Particularly enviable are the invaders from the Low Countries, who wear sabots ; this is a great asset, for the ground is by now a quagmire, churned up by lorries and by heavy feet, and irrigated by the excep- tionally wet spring. This has contributed to the difficulties of building, and has been one cause of the serious backward- ness of the progress in the building of the exhibition.
The original plans included an official opening on May 2nd, but it has for some time been clear that this project was based on an unduly optimistic schedule, and the opening has now been postponed until after our Coronation. This delay has had many contributory causes. There have been a number of strikes. Some people have claimed that these were due to Fascist agitators, and there may be some truth in this, for it is certainly true that the Exhibition has been exposed to a con- sistent campaign of vilification by the Fascist Press, both inside and outside France. It is also a fact that the most politically conscious workers, realising the significance of the exhibition in the economic revival of France, have been keen to work overtime in order to speed up construction.
Probably the greatest architectural interest lies in the foreign pavilions. The totalitarian States in particular have attached great importance to the occasion, and their halls are the largest and most extravagant. On the right bank of the Seine, facing the new Trocadero, stand the two competing halls representing Germany and the Soviet Union. The German one is in the new Nordic style, combining a neo-classical form with an over- whelming feeling of puritanised romanticism. The Russian pavilion is by Jofan, the designer of the projected Palace of the Soviets at Moscow ; it is practical and less exotic than might have been expected. Across the river towers the Italian temple, whose architect Piacentini has been building the new Rome University. At the moment it is not beautiful. The site is littered with plaster figures which will add to the effect.
The remaining pavilions are sadly dwarfed by these enormous buildings. The British one is designed by Mr. Oliver Hill, and is a sound, opulent and unadventurous building. Apart from this there are at least three pavilions which are prominent architecturally. The Dutch pavilion is representative of the post-War tradition which has grown up in that country. The architect, van der Brock, has provided a good open plan, and has chosen as facing a kind of tiling which emphasises the horizontalism which we have grown accustomed to connect with Holland. Another interesting pavilion is the Belgian one, designed by eight architects in collaboration. This adopts a plan ranging a series of rooms round a centre court- yard. Each room is a few steps higher than its predecessor, and in this way any serious separation of the exhibits is avoided, and excellent lighting is ensured for every room. In many ways the Swiss pavilion, by Brauning Leu Durig and Cuminal, is the most interesting of all. Its outstanding feature is the careful and inspired use of modern standardised materials.
There is no space here to discuss any other buildings, but it is already clear that the whole scheme will be airy and intelligent, and that the Exhibition holds much or interest to
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