Butong, originally a Swedish-based firm, specializes in a unique concrete moulding process which offers a wider range of freedom to designers. We’ve featured Butong previously on ArchDaily as their product was used for Visiondivison’s Cancer City resulting in an amazing lightweight slightly-transparent concrete landscape. The company has just shared their latest collaborative work – an installation between the Collectifs Cochenko and Quatorze as part of the drug awareness campaign commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture and MILDT. The project, translated to “Space, light, sound and drugs,” creates a sensory environment combined with a personal experience due to the visitor’s movement and mindset.
More images and more about the project after the break.
The installation is designed using three continuously linked spaces – pleasure, repetition and awakening. Only one person is allowed inside the structure at a time and may occupy the space for any duration of time. Upon entering, the door is shut behind the visitor enclosing him in an environment of beauty and tranquility as soft, crystalline music and subtle light phenomenons bring peace and pleasure.
As the visitor approaches the second space, the surroundings slowly become more confining. The sound and light change to a more harsh tone, and the visitor is deprived of direction. In the last space the visitor starts to reach for reality and a numbing bass is growing through the body, giving a will to leave for solid ground.
This collaborative installation was initiated through a series of idea-generating seminars, organized by Cochenko at the ENSAPB School of Architecture in Paris. The group, known as Quatorze, contacted Butong France to realize their bold organic concept. Each box is unique and is draped with concrete panels using a special technique developed by Butong giving translucent panels of free-form using only concrete. The wooden floor hide triggers that activate different scenes manipulating the subjects experience of the journey through the container. Thus reflections on drug use and abuse are raised.
“There are no pamphlets or brochures in the installation, no pointing fingers, only a mind-opening experience and a chance to reach people coming for the installation. An opportunity to talk to people lured by architecture,” explained the designers.
Project Credits:
French Ministry of Culture
MILDT
Cochenko
Quatorze team: Sylvain Gaufillier (chichou), Damien Beslot, Joachim Bolanos, Antoine Demarest, Romain Minod,
Butong team: Benjamin Levy, Augustin Brisedou Sagot
Photographs: Per Lundström, Lucas Haegeli
