Casanova+Hernandez architects | L011_ Lausanne Jardins

“Green Windows” is an intervention located in the belvedere square of the metro station Grancy, in front of the central train station of Lausanne. The proposal consists of a vertical green wall that frames the views over the lake Léman by means of some windows perforated in it. This green wall closes partially the views from the square to catch the attention of the citizens over the special views behind it. The windows frame the landscape and focus the attention of the citizens on the new park, created over the M2 line, the new pedestrian route and the movement of the trains along the open section. On one hand, “Green Windows” promotes the surprise effect to attract people to its openings by stimulating the curiosity of the citizens. On the other hand, it works as an interface between the citizens and the new public space. “Green Windows” is also a visible element from many different points in the area. From these points, located at different heights, the “Green Windows” frames different fragments of the city: the rails, the park, the tower of the Ouchy station, the lake, the mountains and the sky. Due to the fact that the exhibition is an open-air one, the intervention will be visited day and night, thus providing a perfect occasion to the visitors of the city for spontaneously organizing micro-events related to the festival in front of the green wall.

Experimental prefabicated landscape

On one hand the project experiments with the concept of “architectural-landscape” due to the fact that the design is based on a three-dimensional solid green wall, 8 meters long, 50 centimetres wide and 3 meters high.
On the other hand, it experiments with the concept “artificial landscape”, due to the way it is produced.
Far from the traditional way of understanding the landscape as something linked to the location and to the natural growing of the plants in the site of intervention, this design is based on a contemporary interpretation of the landscape architecture within the current society.

1 The intervention is produced as a prefabricated landscape. The plants used for the intervention have been growing for more than one year in a greenhouse in “de Peel” in The Netherlands even from before the competition was launched.
In the greenhouse, thousands of prefab green elements are growing every year.

2 The second step of the construction of the proposal consists of the making of a three-dimensional steel structure where the growing plants are transplanted and continue growing.
In March the real realization of the project has started. The Hedera Helix ‘Woerden’ used for the project starts growing stronger and quicker every year in that month.

3 The natural growing direction of the plants has been manually manipulated in order to get the three-dimensional steel construction of the wall covered by leaves.

4 After the whole growing process is complete, the prefab green elements will be transported to Lausanne in trucks from The Netherlands and will be installed in the site.

5 During the four months of the “Lausanne Jardins 2009” festival, the intervention will be taken care of by a Swiss partner of the Dutch company.

6 After the festival is finished, “Green Windows” will be dismantled and the prefab elements will come back in tracks to The Netherlands.