If you walk the streets of Bordeaux from time to time, chances are you have already come across these bronze « tables » showing parts of the city in relief.
Could it be a spontaneous, magical outgrowth of the city itself, deciding to spawn these little model tables here and there?
Wrong… These tables are plans-reliefs, tourist and artistic works.
Let me explain: in 2007, Philippe Prévôt (French historian born in Le Havre on 23 February 1935) was working at the Bordeaux tourist office and wanted a Bordeaux creation inspired by the 3D depictions he had seen in Florence, Italy.
He thinks about it, considers it, presents it to the whole council, and the idea makes its way.
In November 2008, Stéphan Delaux, then president of the Bordeaux Tourist Office, officially asked François Didier (Philippe Prévôt's sculptor friend) to design and create three plans-reliefs of the old city, matching 3 major tourist areas of Bordeaux:
- The Place de la Comédie area
- The Saint-Pierre district
- The Hôtel-de-Ville district
- Facing the Cité du Vin
The city hall, through Alain Juppé, approved the project on the simple condition that these plans-reliefs be accessible to disabled visitors.
And so were born these plans-reliefs, beautiful and useful, making orientation easier for the passer-by or the tourist (or both!). They are figurative and easy to read, and the plaques are also written in Braille for wider access.
