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effet de barre

English translation: slab block effect

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
French term or phrase:effet de barre
English translation:slab block effect
Entered by: Tony M

21:54 Aug 9, 2018
French to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Architecture
French term or phrase: effet de barre
Another phrase from an architecture studio's description of one of their projects, intended for their website:

Une composition du rythme des volumes qui favorise une lecture parcellaire a été retenue ici pour éviter « l’effet de barre » qui est à craindre pour un tel ensemble.

I've been able to find multiple architecture-specific references to "effet de barre" online as something to be avoided when designing a series of buildings, but I'm having a bit of a mind blank as to the most suitable translation in English. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Daniel Spencer
United Kingdom
Local time: 01:28
block effect
Explanation:
A 'barre' is a long, often low block (a tower block lying down!) associated with mass housing and Soviet-era construction — the idea being that it produces a huge 'slab' of uninterrupted building. Quite different from an elegant Regency terrace! yet strictly speaking, the 'effect' is the same.

Always difficult when constructing a line of similarly-proportioned buildigns, since the eye/brain inevitably tends to 'join them up' in a not-always-desirable way. Hence their reference to « une lecture parcellaire » — so that the buildings will be perceived individually and not tend to merge together.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 7 hrs (2018-08-11 05:13:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A well-wisher, whose failure to be able to participate in KudoZ is a very sad loss to the community, sneds this comment:
"Do you not think that rather than just "block", "slab block"- for me the translation of "barre" in the sense of those much decried buildings - would be appropriate here (you do use "slab" too, in your explanation).

I claim no credit for this term which was fed to me by a London-based translator-cum-quantity-surveyor many years ago.

https://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/.../peter_peri_slab_b...
“A SLAB BLOCK is a type of housing estate block, like Corbusier's L'Unité,” Peri says.

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-modern-multi-storey-slab-b...
Download this stock image: Modern multi-storey SLAB BLOCK of council flatsin the centre of Bristol, UK

https://books.google.fr/books?isbn=1444318683 -
Rachel Cooper, ‎Graeme Evans, ‎Christopher Boyko - 2009 - ‎Architecture
From the early modern period, the case studies include a block of closed-court walk-up flats, three examples of balcony access SLAB BLOCK flats, a group of ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Road_Flats
The Red Road Flats were a mid-twentieth-century high-rise
housing complex located between .... The first block, the 28-floor SLAB
BLOCK, was demolished by controlled explosion on 10 June 2012

https://books.google.fr/books?isbn=1349171735 -
Circulation provision in blocks of flats may take one of the forms illustrated in ... access C. SLAB BLOCK with internal corridor access D. Slab block with external ... "

I certainly do think 'slab block' better describes what this sort of 'barre' is; whether it is desirable to refer to 'slab block effect' or not, I leave Asker to decide; if the term recurs, I would be tempted to use it, say, at least on the first occurrence, but it might not standed repeated use. But it seems here it is probably being used in isolation, in which case, adding 'slab' is probably useful, not least, in order to emphasize the derogatory opinion of this particular building style.

Merci à notre Ange Garden qui veille sur nous.
Selected response from:

Tony M
France
Local time: 02:28
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +3block effect
Tony M
4barrier effect
B D Finch
3 +1bar-effect of monolithic mass housing blocks
Nikki Scott-Despaigne


  

Answers


12 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
barrier effect


Explanation:
https://onthegrid.city/london/brixton/barrier-block
"Once home to Damien Hurst [sic], this striking and foreboding building was the beginning of the 1963 ‘Motorway Redevelopment Proposal’ vision - a plan which saw a huge motorway running through central Brixton with multi-level living. Thankfully these plans did not come to fruition, so the barrier block acts as an iconic reminder of what Brixton could have become. Its harsh architecture with distinctive zig-zag patterning and small windows were design elements to shield the adjacent estate from excessive traffic noise and pollution from the proposed motorway."

B D Finch
France
Local time: 02:28
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 163
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +1
bar-effect of monolithic mass housing blocks


Explanation:
I'm wondering if is not perhaps describing an attempt to avoid the visual and other effects known with these horrendous "barre" apartment blocks, a thing of the past in construction, some of which have been demolished, but some of which remain. You know, the massive monolithic single block housing projects like this: http://www.averousetsimay.com/renovation-urbaine-logement-so... and http://www.lesenquetesducontribuable.fr/2016/01/12/ces-archi...

https://www.archiliste.fr/escudie-fermaut-architecture/const...

"L'idée de couper l'opération en deux bâtiments répond aux contraintes fonctionnelles et permet de rompre l'effet de barre que pourrait engendrer un seul bâtiment"



--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2018-08-10 11:54:19 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Yep, so you could rephrase it and work round it, but I'm pretty certain this is about the massiveness of the "barre" mass housing blocks. There are some famous (notorious) ones in a number of French cities, notably in Marseille and the outskirts of Paris.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2018-08-10 11:58:13 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

In your prhase, you could try something along the liens of "... to avoid the monolithic effect that can easily happen". Or again with "avoid" at the end, "...the monolithic effect which is best avoided". Or why not, a little closer to the French, "to avoid the much-feared monolithic effect".

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 14 hrs (2018-08-10 12:01:06 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Hmm. Have to be careful with "monolithic" as in some instances, it actually describes bubble-like ingle-unit hobbit-cum-Teletubby type housing, a far cry from the "barre".

Nikki Scott-Despaigne
Local time: 02:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 7

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Tony M: Totally agree with your explanation, though I don't think your actual suggested term is quite optimal.
7 mins
  -> Yes, I'm not satisfied either. Working on it! ;-)
agree  GILLES MEUNIER
1 day 16 hrs
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

13 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +3
block effect


Explanation:
A 'barre' is a long, often low block (a tower block lying down!) associated with mass housing and Soviet-era construction — the idea being that it produces a huge 'slab' of uninterrupted building. Quite different from an elegant Regency terrace! yet strictly speaking, the 'effect' is the same.

Always difficult when constructing a line of similarly-proportioned buildigns, since the eye/brain inevitably tends to 'join them up' in a not-always-desirable way. Hence their reference to « une lecture parcellaire » — so that the buildings will be perceived individually and not tend to merge together.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 1 day 7 hrs (2018-08-11 05:13:39 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A well-wisher, whose failure to be able to participate in KudoZ is a very sad loss to the community, sneds this comment:
"Do you not think that rather than just "block", "slab block"- for me the translation of "barre" in the sense of those much decried buildings - would be appropriate here (you do use "slab" too, in your explanation).

I claim no credit for this term which was fed to me by a London-based translator-cum-quantity-surveyor many years ago.

https://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/.../peter_peri_slab_b...
“A SLAB BLOCK is a type of housing estate block, like Corbusier's L'Unité,” Peri says.

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-modern-multi-storey-slab-b...
Download this stock image: Modern multi-storey SLAB BLOCK of council flatsin the centre of Bristol, UK

https://books.google.fr/books?isbn=1444318683 -
Rachel Cooper, ‎Graeme Evans, ‎Christopher Boyko - 2009 - ‎Architecture
From the early modern period, the case studies include a block of closed-court walk-up flats, three examples of balcony access SLAB BLOCK flats, a group of ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Road_Flats
The Red Road Flats were a mid-twentieth-century high-rise
housing complex located between .... The first block, the 28-floor SLAB
BLOCK, was demolished by controlled explosion on 10 June 2012

https://books.google.fr/books?isbn=1349171735 -
Circulation provision in blocks of flats may take one of the forms illustrated in ... access C. SLAB BLOCK with internal corridor access D. Slab block with external ... "

I certainly do think 'slab block' better describes what this sort of 'barre' is; whether it is desirable to refer to 'slab block effect' or not, I leave Asker to decide; if the term recurs, I would be tempted to use it, say, at least on the first occurrence, but it might not standed repeated use. But it seems here it is probably being used in isolation, in which case, adding 'slab' is probably useful, not least, in order to emphasize the derogatory opinion of this particular building style.

Merci à notre Ange Garden qui veille sur nous.

Tony M
France
Local time: 02:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 143
Notes to answerer
Asker: Thanks all for the helpful explanations and suggestions. Tony, the term does indeed appear only once so I think "slab block effect" would work here.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nikki Scott-Despaigne: "block-effect" is better than my literal "bar-effect".
9 mins
  -> Thanks, Nikki! :-)
agree  philgoddard
1 hr
  -> Thanks, Phil!
agree  B D Finch: Just seen your answer and though I wouldn't use "block effect", "slab block" is more appropriate here than "barrier block", as the latter is a particular use of a slab block..
23 hrs
  -> Thnaks, B!
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