Halles Centrales, (Paris, France), 1850-2007, Classical Architecture
Les Halles was a wholesale food market in 12th century Paris, France. In the mid to late 18th century the circular Halle aux Bles (Corn Exchange), designed by Nicolas Le Camus de Mezieres was built. The structure was later made a rotunda with the addition of a dome. The addition of ten pavilions, which created a large scale covered market, was a project commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III. Then newly recognized as Halles Centrales, the project was part of the remodeling of Paris in the mid 1800’s. The original design was for six classical buildings of masonry construction, however Napoleon wanted the project to be larger in scale and constructed in Iron to display Frances industrial power. The rectangular structures were laid out on a grid, and connected by broad streets all of which except one were covered. Iron columns served two purposes; on the interior, they supported clerestory walls which rose above the eaves of the pavillions, and on the exterior, as downpipes for ra...