SUBTRACT

We started searching art places and havens that artists used to escape, perform their art and get inspired. In the results we reached, we saw that the place where the artist performs art can be anywhere because art transforms the place. A haven can be an apartment like Frédéric Bazille's Studio in 9 rue de la Condamine, or a residence like La Ruche, La Cité Falguière, Chemin du Montparnasse, that hosts travelling artist in Paris. Art can be performed any given space, streets, studios, cafes and bars, theatres and squares, by the lake or under a tree… Artists transforms that space into something else like their art, for a long or short amount of time. Therefore we decided to give artists the space that they needed and let them to transform it.

Secondly, we searched various artworks to find the source of inspiration? Nature has been an inspiration to people since the first ages of human history. Luckily, Our area is surrounded by forest and we wanted to strengthen its relationship with nature. In part of its territory, the forest park of Seven and the Ourcq canal offers visitors an ideal place to relax and plenty of walking trails. The charm of nature in Vaujours become an inspiration to our project. The area emulates the Forest Park of Sevran with its greenery and small ponds. The structure, which is embedded in the slope, appears gradually for the visitors wandering in the forest, and distinctly welcomes the visitors coming from the main road. The second highest point of the Parisian North-East is the Vaujours plateau (Maximum 127 m, Average 94 m). Therefore, Vaujours is one of the best viewpoints of Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis to watch the sky and all that happens in it: eclipse, rain of stars, sunrise, and sunset… So we designed an observation terrace for visitors to better experience solar and lunar events, also the sky tower frames the sun and moon several times during certain times of the year.

The project is based on 2 squared void that sits on the landscape. Coming through the slope a slit divides the landscape into 2 pieces and opens up to the void. A small mass is subtracted from a large mass and gets added to the void and the slit. While some masses break to pieces and get buried on the slope, large masses appear on the void creating more open-to-public spaces. Then, connections are established between the masses at different levels underground. Places that artists can freely use are provided indoor and outdoor, as well as spaces where they can experience light, sound, atmosphere, and nature and be able to interact with other artists in different ways.

Artists change the world with the traces they leave, and we wish the artists who visit our project to leave a mark for future artists that they can come to see and experience.