Land+Living: Shortcut

Art, Landscape — June 29, 2005 Posted by James

Landscape installation

This simple landscape installation deals with the inevitable transformation of designed spaces by the people who inhabit and use them. It speaks to a larger issue in the design world in a way that resonates with us.

Montréal based architect Hal Ingberg (and fellow SCI-Arc alumnus) designed a piece that acknowledges and reinforces the traces of unplanned movements to and from a building at the Université de Montréal.

These traces mark the most natural and firect path of movement to and from the building. However, they have not been designed as part of the building's landscape strategy. Marked by the footprints of numerous building users, they are in effect blemishes, inscribed as corrections to the formalized movement sequence.

We can all personally attest to this non-orthogonal tendency as it pertains to human movement. Historically, it has been employed as an opportunity to inflect richly upon architectural space.

Link: Hal Ingberg

4 comments

Comments (4)

or thag — June 30, 2005
diagonal

known for 50+ years as the campus diagonal...... lame

James — June 30, 2005
Too oblique for "or thag"

I would recommend reading the full description on the architect's website... yes, you are (partially) correct. However, your response is, quite frankly, lame. A simple concept thoughtfully devised, can be meaningful for anyone willing to look deeper. And, 50+ years you say? So, since, like, the 1950's and before? Wow... 50+ years, huh? Stay in school and study hard, kids.

Mahalie — June 30, 2005
Stating the "Obvious"

I second James' comment...there's a lot to be said for elegantly elevating what may have been previously analyzed or simply part of every-day knowledge. This gesture highlights natural human behavoir, old as our race, and in no way claims to have discovered the idea. A truly functional, interesting and inherently interactive art installation...if you ask me.

Susan — June 30, 2005
If you like this, you'll probably also like...

A work by Toronto artist, John Marriott entitled 'S is for Short Cut' [see http://www.expectdelays.com/ - click the link to John Marriott near the bottom of the page], done several years ago.