In this little conversation with historian Lescaze, we see the immediate vicinity of the IFRC Building and park through the lens of the past. The insignia of the court of arms, the sign of a hundred year old cafe, old routes of trams and buses, the invisible remains of old streams that once flowed through the park - come momentarily to life.
A place is almost always a palimpsest. Projecting into the future inevitably means finding out more about the past, tracing old movements and working with and around memories. What remains, what doesn't, what should remain and what shouldn't are of course rooted firmly in the choices made in the present .
These are inevitably contested and make any planning for the future extremely lively. History is never a singular account. Did streams really flow in the way we imagine it today? While the tram and bus routes left verifiable records - water flows left behind less reliable ones. Yet - the memory of water remains and keeps emerging in account after account.
Lescaze takes us through the past and present - explaining, recounting and narrating with a deep knowledge and experience of the place. Please add to the discussion by leaving your comments below the video.
Interview with Bernard Lescaze, historian.
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