invisible landscapea c l a u d e c o r m i e r i n s p i r e d i n s t a l l a t i o n

Arch 425 Contemporary Landscape . August 5 2010A m i r A z a d e h . M o n i k a B o s t i c k o v a . S a r a h E b n e r . K i m c h i H o . M a r t a K u b a c k i . E l y s e S n y d e r

Through understanding everyday interactions on a specific site, we hope to enable or highlight the impromptu uses of a relatively unplanned urban space.

In true Cormier style, we plan to bring forth the invisible traces of activity on the site in a tactile and interactive way. Similar to Cormier’s Blue Tree project, we will be using two artificial materials (paint and sod) to impose on the site with the intention of highlighting key themes, elements and processes not entirely obvious to the occupant in the preset, but obvious on site over time. (ie.: traffic patterns are to the site as decomposition was to Cormier’s Blue Tree.) Conceived of as a one day installation, the project will disappear in stages. The sod will be removed at the end of the day leaving the paint markings on the ground, which will fade away with the next rainfall and return the site to its original unmarked condition.

Using colour, artificial surfaces and directionality, we plan to embrace the language of Cormier’s work and provide the public with a shifted perception of the often-overlooked interstitial space between buildings, specifically the concrete barrier/bench. By defining elements that are familiar in use but not expressed aesthetically, we hope to create a new spatial quality that will engage all public users and support the existing intentions of the site. The traditional role of hard-scape and soft-scape will be reversed, asking the user to alter their notion of “path”.

While we are adopting the urban strategy of Cormier’s Place d’Youville project, it is also our hope to bring humour, attention and spatial quality to the site by using his more playful methods. For instance, the colour incorporated in Lipstick Forest, the interactivity of the “Jackie Kennedy” umbrellas in Sugar Beach and finally the attention grabbing shock factor of Place des Artes Fountain or CCA Lawns.

8 original condition

. sweeping down site to ensure dust is removed so paint adheres to surface treatment well

. mixing consistency to get the same shade of blue & viscosity throughout each batch

. keeping paint rollers consistently moving to ensure the cornstarch does not thicken the roller

. ensuring continuous paint thickness during application process to ensure paint adheres to surface without thickening prior to drying

. arranging delivery to site and protecting material to maintain internal moisture for use on the day of the site installation. trimming sod around unique conditions on site to ensure seamless presentation. ensuring sod stayed moist during installation to reduce curling up effect of the perimeter edges of each piece

. observing the use of various participants on the site and encouraging them to use the site as they normally would

. rolling sod back up and storing in moisture contained environment for recycled use on residential applications. sweeping the hard cape surface area aggressively to remove as much of the dried blue paint as possible. watering down some painted areas on private property adjacent, leaving rain water to distill paint as part of the landscape systems integration process

o n - s i t e i s s u e s

s i t e u s e

grass as improvement: seatinggrass as a boundary: cyclist

grass as a picnic area: coffee drinkers

precedent: sugar beach umbrellas

bike

coffee

hop over

strolling with stoller

dog walking

precedent: place d’youville paths

grass as a path: pedestrian use

r e a c t i o n s

can I walk here?

what does the blue mean?

you should have waited until after business

hours...its getting on my shoes

it’s not permanent?

What’s the school up to this time?

I feel so important, like I’m on a red

carpet, but it’s green!

I just want to take my shoes off it’s so

nice!

It’s a shame the installation won’t be out for longer, we need more

energy like this in the city!

this is great!

Evidently, we believe the project was executed with great success and received insightful feedback from locals and students alike. The intention to bring forth the invisible paths on site in a tactile and interactive way, through the use of artificial materials, truly manifested Cormier’s methodology with regard to his landscape practice. Through the reversal of traditional roles in hardscape and softscape, the perception of “path” was challenged and was brought to the foreground of awareness for occupants, highlighting a familiar place in the city that is often overlooked. By introducing these two new materials on site we were able to transform this ordinary area into a space with its own unique spatial attributes. Although, only applied on the ground surface, the effects realized were of a 3-dimensional spatial quality.

The installation was successfully dismantled in stages through the integration of systems (direct take down & rainfall) to aid in the production of this endeavour. By challenging perceptions of this interstitial space, we were very content with the results and the insight it brought. For that specific day, the space created was the foreground and all other associated activities (the café/school) became the backdrop.