projects
Architecture / Workshop / Research
Architecture / Workshop / Research
Architecture / Workshop / Teaching – ConstructLab, Jardin suspendu, Mons ECC, 2015
MON(S) INVISIBLE
Mon (s) invisible, is a word play from the name of the city of Mons (Belgium) and the pronoun ‘mon’, mine. In the heart of a small and unfortunately closed public park on the roof of a former army bakery, a circular wooden platform is being built. This “Agora” is the stage for the Youth Program of the Capital of Culture Mons 2015. Under the title “Mon(s) idéal”, the curators invite to think utopically and appeal to the inhabitants (and not just the young ones) for their city and its inhabitants Future.
In order to enable the program and to activate the park through residences and workshops, further temporary structures are created in the park: a 45m long wooden structure offers space for 20 berths, kitchen, dining room, storage areas, bathroom and compost toilet. A group of residents built a wooden oven, a mobile beer brewery, a sauna or a children’s playground, just to name a few.
The municipality of Mons has declared itself ready to open the park for a summer. In collaboration with “les commissaires anonymes”, a group of young curators working in Brussels, a program has been developed that addresses the residents as well as the culture interested visitors and offers opportunities for their own initiatives. The aim of this commitment is to bring together a group of local actors who would participate in a permanent opening of the park.
The project was prepared in a series of local workshops, in November 2014, constructlab invited the local architecture school for a workshop with 150 students, the theme being the imaginary future inhabitants of the park. In February, together with the Berlin based landscape architects and gardeners from ‘le Balto’ the park was prepared for the summer. A landscape design was worked out and partially implemented as a suggestion on the spot. In May / June followed a three-week construction site with 20 international ‘design-builders by constructlab from 10 different European countries. Followed by a 3 month inhibition and activation of the garden by members of constructlab, a broad range of guests, local participants and neighbours!
A group of users and participants founded towards the end of summer an ASBL, (a Belgium version of NGO) and reclaimed from the city to continue the activation of the garden which was accepted and the garden opened it’s doors again in the summer 2016! That garden story is to be continued!!!