Champ-Contrechamp
Competition Team
Rozenn Balay (FR), Architect
François Vaugoyeau (FR), Architect
Europan 17 Rennes (FR)
runner-up
Team Point of View
Originally designed as a healing machine, the former South Hospital leverages its rational infrastructure to gain autonomy and resilience. The soil, the mother matrix of life, is placed back at the heart of urban fabric. Becoming a food and agricultural hub, the building once "en contre-champ" now turns its focus both towards the city and the Plateau d’Orson. With the project Champ-Contrechamp, the Blosne neighborhood reconciles with its nourishing past. As a showcase of the green food belt, it is a hybrid and fertile place. The architecture urges its inhabitants to reconnect with the cycles of life and take action against climate change. By the year 2050, new connections between the city and the countryside improve life in the Ville Archipel. The city and the countryside share a common destiny.
Jury Point of View
Very well written and very well presented, the project has a manifesto dimension that goes beyond the scale of the site and questions the feasibility of the concept. The argument on food responsibility is convincing, but the idea of a platform dedicated to agricultural transition elicited debate within the jury. However, it appreciated the extremely detailed analysis of the function of soils, from their organic dimension to planetary issues. The project also includes detailed architectural proposals that evoke another radiant city with a multiplicity of uses.
