Aguait
A Device For Approaching The Banks Of The River Mediona-Riudebitlles
Alt Penedès Region, Catalunya, Spain
Brief
Together with CEPVI (Centre for the Study of the Viticultural Landscape) and the Alt Penedès County Council, we were invited to design an installation that would be apart of the project “The Culture of Water” - an initiative promoted by all six of the municipalities from the Penedès.
The objective behind “The Culture of Water” was to host various activities and events during the months of June through to October, in order to acknowledge and discuss the importance of water. Ultimately, it aimed at promoting action to protect it.
The installation was to act as nomadic architecture; visiting each of the six towns that form part of the Camí del Riu (river path). Every three weeks the great temporary element and with it the activities of “The Culture of Water” moved to the next town, generating new links and relationships between the territory.
Proposal
Aguait is a Catalan word which means: The action of spying. Observing to avoid being surprised. To stand and wait.
Aguait acts as a landscape intensifier - an architectural medium through which to experience the intrinsic qualities of the river path sites.
Our mission was to capture and reveal the inherent and unique characteristics of the water systems from each site, through an installation that combined both a temporary and permanent element.
The temporary element is in the form of a tower, and acts as a beacon and signifier of the landscape. Draped layers of fabric which hang above the users, mimic the process of drying paper - a historical activity which defines the cultural heritage of the Penedès.
The permanent element performs as a marker, and is in the form of a stone base that fixes to the ephemeral structure on each site. Each one is unique, and serves as a bench for each site. They remain permanently in place as a trace and reminder of AGUAIT, and call to host future actions of knowledge, enjoyment and care of the riverside.
Construction
The installation was built by students of the MEATS class, during the course of a week in the Penedès.
Credits
Photography: Jose Hevia
