Three Landscape Essays: Mobile Ecosystems for Future Climates (Finalist for the 2024 FAD Awards for Architecture and Interior Design)

Finalist for the 2024 FAD Awards for Architecture and Interior Design

Project credits: Architects: Lluis Casanovas + Lys Villalba, Landscape Architects: Seth Denizen + Montserrat Bonvehi

Project Site: Conde Duque Contemporary Culture Center in Madrid, Spain

Jury Report: “Three Landscape Essays aims to address a dual challenge: the scarcity of water due to rising temperatures and the challenge of creating green areas in urban environments, particularly on highly entropic surfaces or with underground infrastructure. These three topographies, formed by a type of hollow shells mounted on wheels and covered with vegetation, explore minimal water consumption through storage techniques such as cisterns to maintain moisture. They use resilient plants typical of dry Iberian landscapes, as well as pyrophytic species resistant to high temperatures. The introduction of this family of mobile elements allows for the creation of subspaces within the vast expanse of the parade ground, multiplying the possibilities for its appropriation. These elements serve as outdoor extensions for the institutional programs housed in the Conde Duque Cultural Center and are mounted on wheels to facilitate their relocation in case of large events.”