Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have added Ruisseau and Rings to the Vitra Campus in Weil am Rhein, southern Germany, as an analysis of the relationship between urban space and nature. Situated along the Alvaro Siza promenade, the Bouroullec‘s installations invite visitors to prolong their visit to the Vitra Campus, enjoying the natural element present.
Ruisseau is a narrow channel carved in a marble base, filled with running water. Ring is a circular platform made of galvanized steel, which appears to float above the ground. Encircling a cherry tree, it serves as collective bench.
Carved into marble, Ruisseau, a small shallow groove, furrows a path between the fields and trees. The water flows down the slope and into the garden. The stream emits sounds, and passers-by can be guided by the musicality of the water, which creates a sense of wonderment or a melancholic distraction. Meanwhile Ring appears to float above the ground, encompassing a cherry tree. It serves as an individual seat or large collective bench and provides a welcoming place to relax, meet and chat with others.
“Our aim is to give a new sense of magic to the places where we walk, meet and talk”, explained Ronan Bouroullec. “The scenarios we develop should consequently be both pragmatic and poetic.”
