Les architectes et l'idée bretonne : 1904-1945
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BrestDisciplines:
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Abstract EN:
There was in brittany, during the first half of our century, a very keen interest in architecture, whether taught, practised or analyzed. Architecture was seen as the best means to express an identity which many wated to exalt and keep up. History, geography and ethnology were then enlisted to prove that there was a duty to be inspired by the past, that there was a need to comply to comply to unwritten rules, or to face modern approaches according to national patterns. After outlining the situation before this period, the thesis deals with the debate in which most of the local elites got involved and which extended to politics. It details the various attempts, whether they failed or succeeded, whether the outcome was half-baked or plain caricature, from which originated the present attitudes and even present decisions. This thesis puts forward a system of references to identify and to rate the theories which made use of breton images and facts to give new tasks to the architect, to bring in new architectural patterns, and even to define a new concept : the region.
Abstract FR:
L'architecture - son enseignement, sa pratique, sa critique - a suscite un enjouement considerable, en bretagne, dans la premiere moitie de ce siecle. Elle fut consideree comme le moyen privilegie d'exprimer le particularisme que beaucoup entendaient celebrer et prolonger. L'histoire, la geographie, l'ethnologie furent alors evoquees pour faire du passe le fondement d'un devoir, pour affirmer la necessite de se plier a un determinisme ou, encore, pour instaurer une facon nationale d'envisager la modernite. Apres un expose de la situation anterieure, la these presente l'apparition et le developpement d'un debat qui impliqua la plus grande part de l'intelligentsia et eut constamment des prolongements politiques. Elle decrit les volontes abouties, mises en echec, edulcorees et, parfois meme, rendues meconnaissables qui furent a l'origine de facons de voir et de faire qui, aujourd'hui encore, se maintiennent. Enfin, elle propose un systeme de coherence ou placer et jauger ces analyses qui se sont emparees des images et de l'identite bretonnes pour, simultanement, renover la profession d'architecte, introduite de nouvelles architectroniques et donner corps au moderne concept de region.