Hortus Installation, Just as a play cannot exist without an audience, a landscape exists through the eyes of those who look at it. Actor or spectator, the roles here don’t seem fixed, quite the opposite. Everyone who visits this place plays a part in the fragile balance of the site and contributes to the production of the landscape in its current state. By building a form of « proscenium », the installation will reveal the play that is played out around it every day, and question the roles of everyone involved.
© Banco!
Which side is the audience on? Which side are the actors on? Here, because of the symmetry of the installation, evoking a theatre where the curtain hides neither the backstage nor the audience, it’s hard to know which side everyone is on.
© Banco!
As the project is rooted in a wider context than the hortillonnages, all the materials and construction techniques used are references to the history of the Amiens region.
© Banco!
The structure, made of regional wood, reinterprets traditional « colombage » with an unusual infill: a textile, identical to that used in theatre curtains. Made from linen grown and spun in Normandy, the fabric is hand-dyed in the region using the emblematic Amiens plant: Waide, or Isatis Tinctoria.
Project Info
Architects: Banco!
Area: 23 m²
Year: 2024
Country: Amiens, France
Photographs: Banco!
Office Lead Architects: Bourguignon Quentin, Delebecque Marin & Doin Luc
Design Team: Banco!
Madeline Brooks is a Projects Editor at Arch2O, where she has been shaping and refining architectural content since March 2024. With over a decade of experience in editorial work, she has curated, revised, and published an array of projects covering architecture, urbanism, and public space design. A graduate of the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, Madeline brings a strong academic foundation and a discerning editorial eye to each piece she oversees. Since joining Arch2O, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the platform’s editorial direction, with a focus on sustainability, social relevance, and cutting-edge design. Madeline excels at translating complex architectural ideas into clear, engaging stories that resonate with both industry professionals and general readers. She works closely with architects, designers, and global contributors to ensure every project is presented with clarity, depth, and compelling visual narrative. Her editorial leadership continues to elevate Arch2O’s role in global architectural dialogue.