mirroring pillowed walls filled with reed grass compose sensory installation in montpellier

Chaume Sublimé Transforms Reed Grass into Sensory Architecture

Chaume Sublimé is an ephemeral installation by COAT – conditions atmosphériques d’espaces, created for the Festival des Architectures Vives 2025 in Montpellier, France. The project investigates the spatial and sensory potential of reed grass, using the material to form an atmosphere-driven architectural intervention that examines craftsmanship, sustainability, and the transformation of everyday resources.

The installation is composed of two opposing walls placed within the courtyard of the Hôtel des Trésoriers de la Bourse. Each wall presents two contrasting sides, interpreting both the external street-facing facade and the internal courtyard facade. This duality parallels the relationship between plate and food in contemporary haute cuisine, where the support and the content form a unified composition. The exterior faces form a minimal, monochrome envelope, while the interior faces carry the textural and sensory expression. The arrangement defines an intermediate zone that becomes a focal exploration space for visitors.

Reed grass forms the primary material. It is deployed in distinct configurations to articulate the contrast between exterior and interior. A regular grid of thatch-filled pillows establishes a controlled facade, punctuated by circular openings that offer partial views toward the interior and encourage interaction. Stacked sheaves of thatch introduce varied textures and colors. Natural dyes, such as coffee grounds, turmeric, and root-based pigments, add chromatic shifts and subtle olfactory qualities that extend into the surrounding street. The lightweight bundles respond to air movement and visitor passage, producing temporary sensory effects. Recognizable architectural elements from the courtyard context are incorporated subtly into this inner surface, establishing a direct connection between installation and site.

all images by Paul Kozlowski – photoarchitecture unless stated otherwise

Two opposing walls frame the reed-based installation by COAT

The design facilitates an open-ended exploration of smell, touch, and visual variation. Openings in the exterior layer frame initial glimpses, while the interior’s flexible thatch components allow for close engagement. Movement through the installation results in slight displacement of the reed bundles, generating short, individualized spatial moments. Children in particular may engage with the structure intuitively, exploring textures, scents, and views. Reed is sourced from the Camargue region near Montpellier and from Lake Neusiedl near Vienna, where the installation was developed. The material’s ecological qualities, compostability, renewability, and local availability, frame the project’s environmental approach.

Two self-supporting walls form the structural system, designed by studio COAT – conditions atmosphériques d’espaces. The wooden framework uses standard beam lengths to minimize waste and relies on mechanical joints for disassembly and reuse. Scaffolding feet allow adaptation to various site conditions, facilitating potential reinstallation at future events. The stacked reed sheaves are held within a 13.5 cm-deep frame and stabilized by vertical metal cables, while shredded reed offcuts are repurposed as infill for the exterior pillows.

the installation’s exterior face articulates itself as a monochrome grid of thatch-filled pillows

material duality shaped by culinary and architectural sequences

Responding to the festival’s theme of gourmandize, the pleasure of tasting, interpreted through the lens of haute cuisine, the installation explores how an ordinary ecological material can be reworked and presented to reveal new tactile and atmospheric properties. The structure introduces two contrasting conditions: a restrained, uniform exterior and a textured, sensory interior. This duality encourages passers-by to enter, observe, and experience the material at close range. Compostable and reusable components support circularity and material awareness within architectural practice. The project draws parallels between the sequential experience of tasting in haute cuisine, presentation, anticipation, and tasting, and a spatial journey through architectural space. Reed grass becomes a parallel to a culinary ingredient that is transformed through technique to expose latent characteristics.

This conceptual structure is paired with a reinterpretation of courtyard typology. The courtyard, positioned between public street and private interior, traditionally provides a gradual transition and a moment of sensory shift. The installation adopts this principle, offering glimpses from the outside and a full experience only once inside. Its internal surface references the architectural language of the Hôtel des Trésoriers de la Bourse, whose courtyard facades display the layered contributions of architects Gallières, Sartre, Daviler, and Bonnier. These references are integrated into the installation’s inner face, encouraging close visual inspection of details.

the installation’s sober exterior contrasts with an intriguing, tactile, and sensory interior

playful exploration leads children and adults alike to intuitively interact with the installation | image by COAT

the installation’s configuration invites everyone to engage in a sensory exploration | image by COAT

the circular perforations offer glimpses of the interior, sparking curiosity and the desire to discover

the exterior face is punctuated by circular openings

children search for smells, textures, and views, being physically immersed in the soft thatch

the installation creates an olfactory atmosphere extending beyond the courtyard into the nearby street

the stacked sheaves of thatch are partly colored with natural dyes such as coffee grounds and turmeric

the installation’s interior is a sensual expression of texture, color, and materiality

recognizable elements of the courtyard are subtly integrated into the design | image by COAT

project info:

name: Chaume Sublimé
designer: COAT – conditions atmosphériques d’espaces | @studio_coat

event: Festival des Architectures Vives 2025 | @festivaldesarchitecturesvives

location: Montpellier, France

photographer: Paul Kozlowski – photoarchitecture | @photoarchitecture.co, COAT

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 vergopoulou | designboom