Contribution de l'expérience esthétique des façades du rez- de-chaussée à la qualité des espaces publics à Béjaïa

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the façades of the ground floor of commercial streets in the centre of Bejaia; it evaluates the effect of the conceptual elements of urban plinths on the perception and aesthetic of these places by users. The main aim of this research is to highlight the strategic importance of plinths in structuring the city. Their design often remains fragmentary and disconnected from users' perceptions and expectations, despite their decisive impact on the quality of public spaces and urban vitality. To this end, our research falls within the disciplinary field of environmental psychology and adopts an combining qualitative and quantitative methods. Thus, the integration of a literature review, systematic in-situ observations, questionnaires and interviews has proved particularly relevant. More concretely, this study aims to identify the physical qualities of ground floor commercial façades that need to be considered in the urban design process, in order to establish a coherent and effective link between architecture and its public space, both aesthetically and functionally. The thesis is structured in two parts: one theoretical and the other practical. The first establishes a conceptual framework covering the notions of plinths and environmental aesthetics, and includes a literature review on assessing the quality of the urban ground floor and its impact on user perception. The second part is devoted to the presentation of the case study (Rue de la Liberté and Rue des Aurès in Bejaia), the methodology adopted, and the in-depth analysis and interpretation of the results of each phase of the research.