La preservation d'une gare historique et la perspective de l'usager
Contemporary theories of conservation, urban planning and architecture all work together to integrate citizen participation into their processes, with a view to sustainable development. Several issues influence decisions regarding the fate of abandoned train stations. This study attempts to clarify the impact of some of these issues such as what are the new uses that give the station its new "life", what is the architecture of the station itself and how it will be treated or modified, the space of the station and its transformation and ultimately the appropriation of this space by the citizens. The methodological approach that is chosen is qualitative and combines content analysis and case study methodologies. The case study chosen is of Westmount station in Westmount, Quebec, Canada, it is examined in comparison with the case of Orsay station transformed into the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, France. The views  of users are explored to comprehend how they understand the space of the station, how they might react in case its architecture remains intact and a new use is granted to it, and in case the interior and/or exterior architecture is modified by adding contemporary structures to accommodate one or more new uses. Comparing the results of the Musée d'Orsay and Westmount station helped to better understand the context and its political/economic, heritage/sustainability and social/spatial variables. While divided, many participants expressed various and rich opinions. These included having a mix of historic architecture and contemporary architecture to favour the preservation of the historic sections by updating the building and its facilities and extending their use. However, this could not materialize without the fulfillment of certain conditions, including political/economic support from the city, a contemporary architecture that is uncluttered, simple or an architecture that mimics existing architecture, and finally the appropriation of space by users. This appropriation seems to depend on the final architecture and its harmonization with the existing architecture. Users seem to appropriate more the space of the station, with or without a new structure, especially if there is participation on their part in the process of rehabilitation. Giving a voice to users and their suggestions is important as they would "inhabit" better the space if they participate in the project. In addition, recommendations on conservation, especially that some changes could occur, more specifically in terms of the mix of historic architecture and contemporary architecture, are to be considered.
Appropriation Preservation Historic architecture Contemporary architecture Mix Users Space Appropriation New resources Limited use