Following our 'Pessimist' piece in Historic Gardens Review Number 15 about the unappreciated and dilapidated Egyptian-style fabriques in the Parc du Grand Veneur at Soisy-sur-Seine, we are delighted to report that the park is at last being taken seriously as the unique place it is.
At the Fête des Plantes at Courson, in October 2004, Jacques Hennequin of JH3D showed a model he made (see photo) of the park as it would once have been. Because the site, in the southern suburbs of Paris, is so changed, the intricate, privately-commissioned model required 140 hours of research and meticulous work. It attracted great attention, including coverage in the gardening press. Now there are hopes that the obelisks, with their fanciful hieroglyphs, and what remains of the temple-cum-ice-house will be protected and that restoration might eventually take place.