Ploc! Installation, Built as part of the competition for the Festival des Cabanes 2023 in the Annecy region, Ploc! is a reinterpretation of the Japanese fountain system known as shishi-odoshi.
© David Foessel
Ploc! is the onomatopoeia for the sound of two elements colliding. It also stands for Pluies LOCalisées. The Ploc hut is a portal, a passageway between this world and the sacred, between the domestic scale and the great landscape. Placed next to a church, its purpose is to extend the spiritual experience of the site by framing the mountain.
Elevation
It is conceived as a place where prayers are answered. Water falling from the sky is guided towards rocking cannons, based on the shishi-odoshi principle. When these are activated, on average after a few minutes in heavy rain, the magic happens and a series of “ploc” sounds are heard. The proximity of the sounds produced contrasts with the depth of the view. Ploc! is an invitation to rediscover the Annecy landscape, especially on rainy days.
© David Foessel
The constructional regularity and simplicity of the three-dimensional grid make this gate both a precious object and a discreet frame that fades into the background in front of the forty cannons and the surrounding landscape.
© David Foessel
The entire hut, as well as the cannons, were built using timber from a local sawmill in Val-de-chaise. It took two weeks to build, with the occasional help of generous volunteers. Ploc! is an ephemeral installation.
Project Info
Architects: ici-bas
Country: France, Faverges
Area: 9 m²
Year: 2023
Photographs: David Foessel
Wood Supply: Scierie Cavagnon
Sophie Tremblay is a Montreal-based architectural editor and designer with a focus on sustainable urban development. A McGill University architecture graduate, she began her career in adaptive reuse, blending modern design with historical structures. As a Project Editor at Arch2O, she curates stories that connect traditional practice with forward-thinking design. Her writing highlights architecture's role in community engagement and social impact. Sophie has contributed to Canadian Architect and continues to collaborate with local studios on community-driven projects throughout Quebec, maintaining a hands-on approach that informs both her design sensibility and editorial perspective.