Bas Smets – Recent Landscapes

Bureau Bas Smets realised projects include the 10-hectare park of Thurn & Taxis in Brussels, the Himara Waterfront in Albania, the landscape for the new motorway between the ports of Antwerp and Zeebruges, the memorial for the victims of the terror attacks in Brussels of 22/3, the Sunken Garden and the Mandrake hotel, both located in London.
A number of large projects are under construction: the public plaza around the new Trinity Tower in Paris La Défense, the public space around the railway station of Lyon Part-Dieu, the large park of the Nieuw Zuid project in Antwerp, and the Parc des Ateliers in Arles for the Luma Foundation, in close collaboration with Frank Gehry and Annabelle Selldorf.
Each of these projects is considered as part of an encompassing research into the possible roles of landscape projects in a changing climate. The aim is to invent ‘augmented landscapes’, by using the logics of nature. These augmented landscapes create a more resilient environment while producing inviting atmospheres for their visitors and inhabitants.
Artistic and scientific research takes a central role in this endeavour. Bas Smets has worked with many artists, among others Philippe Parreno, for whom he has designed the film sets for the movie ‘Continuously Habitable Zones’. He often collaborates with universities and research centres to conduct climatic studies.

www.bassmets.be
*The lecture is organised as part of the design studio ‘Culture in Residency, Sekirn, Wörthersee’ led by Prof. Tina Gregoric and Jakob Travnik, investigating the notion of ‘culture in residency’ as a way of facilitating meaningful, multi-species interactions and deepening our relationships with place through time.
–––––––––––––
www.gbl.tuwien.ac.at

Moderation: Prof. Tina Gregoric and Jakob Travnik