The architectural art festival returned for its tenth edition at Montpellier. The Festival des Architectures Vives aimed at raising public awareness on the wide range of architecture. It continued to highlight not only the work of a young generation of architects, landscape architects and urban planners but also to discover unexpected urban areas.
This year, the festival took place in two urban areas, inviting the visitors to interact with the installations while exploring the unexpected surroundings. Courtyards of private hostels in Montpellier, usually closed to the public, opened their doors during the four-day festival. In La Grande Motte, the festival offered an urban course in the heart of Jean Balladur’s architecture, which characterized this seaside town, recently approved as the “Heritage of the XXth Century”.
There were 20 sites in total with 19 installations and 1 pavilion. There was no specific theme to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the festival, allowing free reins to the designers. At the Montpellier site, the Public Prize was awarded to “Goldfish” by Julien Plessis and Claire Dusonchet, the Jury Prize to Margaux Rodot, Mickaël Martin and Benoît Tastet for “Un dixième printemps”, and a Special Mention to the Syracuse University, made up by Maya Alam, Waralee Kaewkoon, Emily Greer and Thomas Byung H. Kim. Meanwhile at the La Grande Motte site, “The Porthole” by TOMA! was rewarded by both the Public Prize and the Jury Prize. A Special Mention was given to Arnaud Malthieu, Amandine Romanet and Matthieu Thuillier for “Embruns”.
(“Embruns” by Arnaud Malthieu, Amandine Romanet & Matthieu Thuillier)
(“Un dixième printemps” by Margaux Rodot, Mickaël Martin & Benoit Tastet)
(“Goldfish” by Julien Plessis & Claire Dusonchet)
Photos by : Paul Kozlowski ©photoarchitecture.com
