New York City’s Landmarks: Is it Really Just a House of Cards?
By Susan Kathryn Hefti Special to The Clyde Fitch Report ThePreservationDiaries@gmail.com In Stéphane Brizé’s new film, Mademoiselle Chambon, a rugged-looking builder, whose weathered face reads like a tourist map through the life of a man supporting the weight of the world on his shoulders, is invited to give a talk to his young son’s class. Standing before his pint-sized audience, this modern-day Atlas, here called Jean, offers a matter-of-fact primer on what he knows best: the art of building. The single most important thing to remember, Jean tells the eager young crowd, is to always begin with a solid foundation. For any building to stand the test of time, he explains, a sturdy foundation is a construction imperative. The schoolchildren seem to quickly grasp the gist of Jean’s lesson as it just makes good common sense. Apparently, even by the age of 6, one can fairly easily reason that if a foundation is weak or becomes compromised, the building it supports may come toppling down.
