GÖKÇE GEREKLİ YILMAZ
landscape architect/ designer
AB OVO | where birds thrive, people thrive
collaboration with Karolina Skonieczna
The Armentara meadows evoke natural diversity and richness of flora and fauna of the region, where the local farmers coexist in harmony with nature. In spring and summer these ecosystems attract a vast population of birds and other animals to nest and forage in the area. The birds are great indicators of the health and purity of this ecosystem.
The proposed object pays a tribute to the beginning of the life cycle and its resilience. The meadows and forests offer a safe setting for animals to nest, thrive and nurture their families. In current times of fast progressing climate change and the intensification of land use one must, however, ask themselves a question; how long for will areas like Armentara remain unspoilt and safe for the species to nest and nurture? Will they thrive against all odds like they did for millions of years? How many summers we have left to act before these changes are irreversible?
The partially deconstructed egg represents rapid processes happening globally at the moment. Its structure thrives, yet slowly deteriorates and loses its inner strength and integrity. The form, inspired by the traditional Japanese paper art, symbolizes fragility of the material holding a complex structure. The proposed recycled content plywood is an easily sourced material, sympathetic with the natural context. Its architectural form invites the visitor to observe it from the distance, orbit around it to encounter the intricate structure and the play of light, or to come closer and perhaps even push it around to experiment with its weight and balance.