Seduced by O-Hanami, a Japanese traditional custom of admiring the ephemeral beauty of the cherry blossoms, the installation allows the spectator to plunge into a suspended moment. This timelessness evokes the imagery of petals gently detaching themselves one by one. Staging the springtime cherry blossoms invites passers-by to reflect on the intangibility of passing time, on the delicate balance between life and death, focusing on perpetual renewal.

A tenth spring celebrating the tenth edition of FAV

Welcoming the ‘Festival des architectures vives’, taking place on a yearly basis within the inner courtyards of selected town-houses, the installation celebrates the spring of cultural heritage. The courtyards resemble deeply anchored trees within the city’s historic centre, of which the displayed artworks would symbolise the ephemeral blossoming of its flowers.

A living installation

“A tenth spring” takes place within the Griffy town-house courtyard. Throughout the day, viewers are exposed to the varying perceptions of the installation, as witnessed through the ever-changing reflections of the ‘petals’ on the surrounding historic windows. The foliage brightens towards the end of the day as the petals fall, renewing the experiences.

4000 balloons

Staging this springtime scene involves layering discrete nets towards the sky, 10 meters high above the courtyard. Each day, 650 helium balloons are released to compose the ephemeral foliage. Variations in the volume of helium used to inflate, enables the balloons to descend throughout the entire day, reflecting the falling petals of the cherry tree. In order to renew the process across the the 6 days of the festival, approximately 4000 balloons and 7m3 of helium are required.

The Hanami spirit

Once the balloons fall to the ground, a sign that spring is advancing, brings joy to children. For adults, joy is found in laying on the ephemeral meadows whilst having a picnic or to simply enjoy the moment, capturing the essence of the Hanami.

Data sheet

– Name of the project: « Un dixième Printemps» – Ephemeral Installation, Festival des Architectures Vives, Montpellier

– Topic : The tenth
– Location: Montpellier France 
– Client: Festival des Architectures Vives

Architects / designers:

Mickaël MARTIN, Margaux RODOT, Benoît TASTET
– Area of project: 35 SQM

– Project end date: june 2015

– Partners : MESSER, Ballon Music Prod, Les gazonnières Saint-Sauveur, Bricomarché Prayssac

– Photos Credits : Paul KOZLOWSKI  (photos 1 to 11) ; Flickr/Dick Thomas JOHNSON (photo 17)

For more information: 

https://www.facebook.com/undixiemeprintemps

The tenth spring team

Differing through their age, background and interests, the three architect make the most of time spent together to experiment. Having obtained their degrees at ENSAPBX a strong friendship ties them to their shared passions. Each of their projects is not the result of a simple juxtaposition of skills, but rather a symbiosis through which they grow. Their main goal is to narrate a story which resonates as accurately as possible to its context.