christophe benichou has designed a resting space for climbers exploring the verdon gorge, a river canyon in southeastern france. ‘since the 1960s, this canyon in the south of france has become a must-see climbing site because of its unique depth in europe and the quality of its limestone rock,’ says the architect. ‘majestic and vertiginous, the verdon cliffs stretch up to 700 meters (2,297 ft) high, offering a playground as noble as impressive.’
it is here where christophe benichou has located his ‘verdon balconies’, the latest theoretical project proposed by the french architect. positioned high above the canyon, the suspended platforms offer welcome horizontal rest for climbers scaling the cliffs. sheltered from the wind and falling stone, benichou suggests that the platform could even accommodate climbers overnight, bringing an a degree of domesticity to the rugged and natural setting.
‘entirely metallic for a light and reversible integration, these structures invoke the domestic figures of the balcony and the curtain to bring an unexpected hospitality to the realm of the void,’ benichou continues. other projects by christophe benichou include ‘lumishell’, a peanut-shaped prefabricated dwelling, and the vertigo-inducing ‘tip-box’ pavilion. see other work by the architect on designboom here.
project info:
name: verdon balconies
design: christophe benichou architectures
type: theoretical project
date: 2019
architecture in france (378 articles)
notre dame cathedral to be restored to its original state
aldric beckmann applies an abstract pattern of colored glass to a parisian boulevard
orma architettura's series of timber 'mirador' observatories rise from rocks of corsica
larch cladding folds over a gymnasium in france to echo the mountain topography
deschenaux architectes' composition of timber and concrete overlooks 'la place'
orma architettura completes glued laminated timber playground shelter in corsican village
christophe benichou (7 articles)
maison W, or 'the pleated house' mimics the undulating geological folds of its alpine context
christophe benichou's sliding shelter appears to descend towards an icy lake
christophe benichou proposes sesame, a solitary monolith in the desert
architecture news
UAD abstracts the colors of chinese calligraphy to create shuyang art gallery
#architecture
the design is composed of black, white and red volumes in reference to the brush-pen, rice-paper and seal used in calligraphy.
the design is composed of black, white and red volumes in reference to the brush-pen, rice-paper and seal used in calligraphy.
reutov design infuses apartment proposal in new york with pink and green hues
#architecture
the interiors seem to be taken out of an instagram post, where designer furniture meets a cactus-filled landscape.
the interiors seem to be taken out of an instagram post, where designer furniture meets a cactus-filled landscape.
apollo architects builds concrete dwelling with rock garden in japan
#architecture
situated in an area that receives heavy snow yearly, the residence by apollo architects features a distinctive massive concrete façade which utilizes exterior »
situated in an area that receives heavy snow yearly, the residence by apollo architects features a distinctive massive concrete façade which utilizes exterior insulation.
madame pho brings the colors and textures of vietnam to budapest's business quarter
#architecture
designed by eszter csontos, the new vietnamese restaurant marks the latest addition to budapest's existing asian gastronomy scene.
designed by eszter csontos, the new vietnamese restaurant marks the latest addition to budapest's existing asian gastronomy scene.
I don’t think that any climber wants to see that metal stack middle of the climbing route. As an architect and a climber, I can’t understand the meaning of this project.
Why do architects need to mark their territory everywhere? As an architect and as a climber, I do not see the sense of this.
As an architect, there are already “domestic” temporary solutions for sleeping on the wall, called portaledges.
As a climber, I would like to experience nature as much as possible, and not climb up on the wall to get to a metal mesh terrace.