Jussieu Campus
Encyclopedia
The Jussieu Campus is a higher education campus
located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris
, France
, which is the main campus of the Pierre and Marie Curie University
(Paris VI).
Because of reconstruction programs in progress (see below), various facilities have been moved out of the campus to other parts of Paris.
. Built on the site of the old "Halle aux vins," a wine market created by Napoleon Bonaparte, the campus remains incomplete to this day. In 1957, the first university buildings were built along the Eastern bank of the River Seine
(le quai Saint-Bernard), and Rue Cuvier. In order to allow the wine to remain on the site, the architects planned to construct the buildings on stilts above the roads of the market.
However, in 1964, with over 20,000 science students graduating high school (the baby boom
generation), the old Sorbonne
could not accommodate the influx of students. André Malraux
entrusted the architect Édouard Albert with the task of rapidly constructing a new science campus on the site. Albert's grand vision of modular metallic buildings, designed to facilitate interdisciplinary work and improve teaching, was never achieved, and eventually abandoned in 1972.
s. The grid is built on a large elevated slab, and the wings do not reach to the bottom of the slab, making it possible to walk across the campus without crossing the buildings. Underneath the slab are ground-level and underground facilities, including a car park. The main front of Jussieu is bounded by a 10 meter deep dry moat, and many pedestrian entrances are bridges over this moat that can be readily secured. The high security features of the campus are likely a response to the student riots that occurred in 1968 in this neighborhood.
While independent, the two universities and the institute share facilities, such as libraries
, and often have joint research groups. Certain of the research libraries of the campus (in mathematics
, for instance) are among the largest and with the widest selection of books in France.
In the center of the campus is the Tour Zamansky, or Tour Jussieu, with 24 floors and a height of 90 meters. The tower is named after a senior member of a University. The tower is dedicated to an administrative use.
Campus restaurants are located in the northeast corner of the campus, many of which afford a pleasant view of the Seine River.
The most worrisome particularity of the Jussieu architecture is its extensive use of asbestos
as a fire retardant
. Asbestos fibers are carcinogenic when inhaled, and as a consequence the use of asbestos in buildings is prohibited in France, but wasn't at the time when the campus was built. The risks are particularly acute for workers who maintain the building (drilling walls etc...). Also, it seems that the fire retardation is not really sufficient, which, coupled with the use of metal for frames, would result in an early collapse in the case of a large fire. An ambitious clean-up program was begun in 1997 after some high-profile protests. The wings are stripped off all equipment, walls etc... to the naked concrete frame, and are then rebuilt in modern materials. Many advocated for the destruction of Jussieu when the asbestos problem was addressed, however, the campus is protected as an architectural type and must be restored to its original condition.
In 1996 Claude Allègre
, a well known French politician and scientist, opposed the removal of asbestos from the campus, describing it as harmless and dismissing concerns about it as a form of "psychosis
created by leftists". The campus' asbestos is deemed to have killed 22 people and caused serious health problems in 130 others.
station Jussieu
, as well as numerous bus lines.
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
located in the 5th arrondissement of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, which is the main campus of the Pierre and Marie Curie University
Pierre and Marie Curie University
The Paris VI University , or the Pierre and Marie Curie University , is a university located on the Jussieu Campus in the Latin Quarter of the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France....
(Paris VI).
Because of reconstruction programs in progress (see below), various facilities have been moved out of the campus to other parts of Paris.
History
The campus was opened in 1959 and eventually it would host a great part of the old faculty of sciences of the SorbonneSorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
. Built on the site of the old "Halle aux vins," a wine market created by Napoleon Bonaparte, the campus remains incomplete to this day. In 1957, the first university buildings were built along the Eastern bank of the River Seine
Seine
The Seine is a -long river and an important commercial waterway within the Paris Basin in the north of France. It rises at Saint-Seine near Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plateau, flowing through Paris and into the English Channel at Le Havre . It is navigable by ocean-going vessels...
(le quai Saint-Bernard), and Rue Cuvier. In order to allow the wine to remain on the site, the architects planned to construct the buildings on stilts above the roads of the market.
However, in 1964, with over 20,000 science students graduating high school (the baby boom
Baby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
generation), the old Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
could not accommodate the influx of students. André Malraux
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
entrusted the architect Édouard Albert with the task of rapidly constructing a new science campus on the site. Albert's grand vision of modular metallic buildings, designed to facilitate interdisciplinary work and improve teaching, was never achieved, and eventually abandoned in 1972.
Facilities
Most of the campus consists in a regular grid of 6-floor wings; at the points of intersection are staircases and elevatorElevator
An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...
s. The grid is built on a large elevated slab, and the wings do not reach to the bottom of the slab, making it possible to walk across the campus without crossing the buildings. Underneath the slab are ground-level and underground facilities, including a car park. The main front of Jussieu is bounded by a 10 meter deep dry moat, and many pedestrian entrances are bridges over this moat that can be readily secured. The high security features of the campus are likely a response to the student riots that occurred in 1968 in this neighborhood.
While independent, the two universities and the institute share facilities, such as libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, and often have joint research groups. Certain of the research libraries of the campus (in mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, for instance) are among the largest and with the widest selection of books in France.
In the center of the campus is the Tour Zamansky, or Tour Jussieu, with 24 floors and a height of 90 meters. The tower is named after a senior member of a University. The tower is dedicated to an administrative use.
Campus restaurants are located in the northeast corner of the campus, many of which afford a pleasant view of the Seine River.
Controversies and asbestos
The campus is generally decried as an architectural failure. The hollow space under the building wings enables wind to build up its force, and thus the environment on the slab is unfriendly. The regular grid plan may be confusing, since it is sometimes difficult to know where one is located, especially since not all corridors allow through crossing nowadays (laboratories etc. have often chosen to lock their corridor for safety reasons). The campus has become increasingly degraded since its erection, and its older tower stairwells and exteriors are covered in perpetual graffiti—towers renovated since about 2000 are constantly kept in a cleaner state by painting over new graffitis.The most worrisome particularity of the Jussieu architecture is its extensive use of asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
as a fire retardant
Fire retardant
A fire retardant is a substance other than water that reduces flammability of fuels or delays their combustion. This typically refers to chemical retardants but may also include substances that work by physical action, such as cooling the fuels; examples of these include fire-fighting foams and...
. Asbestos fibers are carcinogenic when inhaled, and as a consequence the use of asbestos in buildings is prohibited in France, but wasn't at the time when the campus was built. The risks are particularly acute for workers who maintain the building (drilling walls etc...). Also, it seems that the fire retardation is not really sufficient, which, coupled with the use of metal for frames, would result in an early collapse in the case of a large fire. An ambitious clean-up program was begun in 1997 after some high-profile protests. The wings are stripped off all equipment, walls etc... to the naked concrete frame, and are then rebuilt in modern materials. Many advocated for the destruction of Jussieu when the asbestos problem was addressed, however, the campus is protected as an architectural type and must be restored to its original condition.
In 1996 Claude Allègre
Claude Allègre
Claude Allègre is a French politician and scientist.- Scientific work :The main scientific area of Claude Allègre is geochemistry....
, a well known French politician and scientist, opposed the removal of asbestos from the campus, describing it as harmless and dismissing concerns about it as a form of "psychosis
Psychosis
Psychosis means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality"...
created by leftists". The campus' asbestos is deemed to have killed 22 people and caused serious health problems in 130 others.
Transportation
The campus is served by the Paris MétroParis Métro
The Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ...
station Jussieu
Jussieu (Paris Metro)
Jussieu is a station on lines 7 and 10 of the Paris Métro in the eastern part of the Latin Quarter in the 5th arrondissement.The station was opened on 26 April 1931 with the extension of line 7 from Pont de Sully to Place Monge and its incorporation of part of Line 10 from Place Monge to Porte de...
, as well as numerous bus lines.