Design under the open skies

Design sur cours gives designers free rein to take over some of the most beautiful courtyards in Paris, made available by City Hall or the central government. You’ll come across them during your wanderings around the Marais quarter. For example, the garden of the National Archives on rue des Francs-Bourgeois will be scattered with poetic “Jardin d’hiver” (Winter Garden) armchairs by Myriam Peres. Like a cocoon, their rounded structure in recycled steel wire interwoven with wicker offers shade from the sun and reminds us of trellises that rosebushes grow over. The candidates for Design Sur Cours were required to adopt an eco-friendly, sustainable approach. This was coupled with a real thought process around street furniture. 

Several examples of this will be presented within the courtyard of the Historical Library of the City of Paris. When you pass by rue Pavée, you’ll see the botanical arches of Alexis Tricoire, the designer/gardener, from the carriage gate. Designed to provide shade for the pedestrian walkways, his “Fresh City” system is made up of a modular set of benches, each topped with a large, curved span that is 3 meters high. Aligned facing each other, they form shaded archways where you can have a seat and cool off. The spans are built using recycled wooden window frames. In this large, bi-level courtyard that was recently renovated, you’ll also find the “chair that hides the forest” by Carbonne 14  Studio. Julien Gorrias, its designer, has already envisioned his next life by placing tree seedlings in his wooden feet. Throw it into the forest, and it will regrow! A structure that catches rain, a botanical bench that’s also an open-air library, streetlights that drip vegetation by Tamim Daoudi for Velum…such are the many ideas that promise to transform our cities. Just a few steps away, the Bibliothèque Forney hosts, within its gorgeous Hôtel de Sens, an exhibition on wood, in collaboration with the industry in the Centre-Val de Loire region. Outside, you’ll find lounging benches by Jean Couvreur, and inside, contemporary designs related to antique documents and samples from the collections of this library devoted to the decorative arts. There are two stops to make at Place des Vosges: the first at number   in the marvelous garden of Maison Victor Hugo, where Café Mulot is located. It will be revamped for the occasion by young, sustainable brand Made By Bobine. The second will be at number 5, where architect Isabelle Stanislas is taking over the Hôtel de Sully, its salon, as well as its garden, with contemporary architectural follies. And last, but not least, on quai de Conti, the Hôtel de la Monnaie has invited Binna Baitel to celebrate her “Monnaies et merveilles” (Monies and marvels) exhibition. In the ceremonial courtyard, this architect has created a monumental, inflatable fountain that you can throw coins into while you make a wish. What will yours be? 

©Bina Baitel – Fontaine à la Monnaie de Paris