La Goutte d’Or
Drawings of a street situation
This project consisted of analyzing, understanding, and interpreting the presence of the Senegalese diaspora in Paris using an object linked to its cultural context. The starting point for this analysis was peanuts. Through this object, we attempted to understand the historical and social context of the Senegalese diaspora in Paris. The peanuts allowed us to better analyze a broader context of global historical exchanges, slavery, and colonialism, leading up to the settlement of immigrant communities in Paris.
This study took us to the Goutte d'Or district in the 18th arrondissement of Paris
and particularly to Rue des Poissoniers, which is home to a significant portion of East African commercial activity. This neighborhood is an example of a neighborhood of arrival that offers the opportunity to socially integrate into one's own community through commercial structures. The traders do not live in this neighborhood but mainly in the
suburbs because they are faced with gentrification and rent speculation.
During the day, the streets are a lively place of commercial exchange and social gatherings, mainly for communities from North and East Africa. It also brings together sidewalk vendors, a habit that
annoys some residents. To better understand the situation, we met with Mansour, who is authorized by the local
authorities to sell her products on the street. It is located in the gates of a communal garden.
Le projet
Our project was designed for street vendors to improve their quality of shopping time by creating small urban amenities
and folding facilities.We designed a series of shelters, seats, and supports for men, and mainly women, who sit on
cardboard all day. We also built a full-scale shelter structure for an individual, for Mansour, for example.
Uses analysis and design propositions
Examples of different objects or furnitures that could be used without altering the practice of street vending
Streets examples
Drawing realized with Émilie Mélobosis.