archibüse: sustainable micro-architecture

 

‘archibüse’ is a wooden structure that emerges from the ruins of a medieval village castle of garessio in italy. the installation was designed and carried out by architecture practice GRRIZ with the partnership of ‘petites folies’ summer school members, as a collaborative and sustainable project in an attempt to revitalize mountain hinterland areas.

 

positioned on the edge of a slope, archibüse takes shape as a timber belvedere hovering above the italian maritime alps. archibüse was realized in one week by 13 european students as a self-building workshop, creating a panorama on the ligurian alps, while the team also redesigned the surrounding space with wooden furniture. the use of local wood, together with the dry assembly, renders this micro-architecture sustainable that can at any time be reversed to its initial form without leaving an impact on its environment. 

archibüse: a wooden belvedere rises over the italian maritime alps
image courtesy of marco introini

 

 

mimicking the mountains’ peaks

 

archibüse (see more here) occupies a simple form, designed as a bridge on the extension of the terrain’s inclination. the whole body is standing on stilts, while thin wooden vertical boards frame the structure. these pieces are installed in a playful way, to create a wavy form mimicking the mountains’ peaks, creating an illusion from a distance that it rises up — but in fact, it maintains the same level.  

 

furthermore, from afar, the structure’s outlines fade up, becoming a part of the scenery. the area is completed with a brazier surrounded by a couple of handmade wooden seats, inviting visitors to rest, interact and capture the sweeping views. 

archibüse: a wooden belvedere rises over the italian maritime alps
image courtesy of emanuele piccardo

archibüse: a wooden belvedere rises over the italian maritime alps
image courtesy of marco introini

archibuse a wooden belvedere over the italian maritime alps 4
image courtesy of marco introini

archibüse: a wooden belvedere rises over the italian maritime alps
image courtesy of emanuele piccardo

archibüse: a wooden belvedere rises over the italian maritime alps
image courtesy of emanuele piccardo

archibüse: a wooden belvedere rises over the italian maritime alps
image courtesy of emanuele piccardo

archibüse: a wooden belvedere rises over the italian maritime alps
image courtesy of alessandro livraghi

 

 

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image by emanuele piccardo
image by emanuele piccardo
image by alessandro livraghi
image by alessandro livraghi
image by emanuele piccardo
image by emanuele piccardo

project info:

 

name: archibüse
designer: GRRIZ

location: garessio, italy 

photography: marco introini, alessandro livraghi, emanuele piccardo

 

 

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: christina petridou | designboom