SEARCHING FOR DE VIEW, I FOUND THE FOREST
At the beginning, The Belvedere was inserted in a dense oak forest in Haute Savoie. This natural place, nearly untouched, has breathtaking views above the Chaise Valley, thanks to the steep topography which demarcates its boundaries. As a result of this privileged location, a clearing was made by cutting down the original trees to allow the possibility of enjoying the views.
This project is born from the idea of paying homage to the original history of the place, providing it a meaning, a legitimacy; building a wood structure on the clearing from the original trees that were removed to make the clearing in the first place. Making visible the invisible, a physical and sensorial experience; transmitting a universal and contextual message at the same time. Trunks of wood refer to native tradition and form a hut to question our impact on the landscape.
The hut takes the form of a stere of wood. Its frame is made of pine wood and the filling of oak firewood. The volume of the hut, which represents the quantity of trees that have disappeared on the site, was calculated in relation to the density, heights and diameters of the trees already present on the site.
The wood used for the construction comes from a local sawmill located less than 10 km from the site. Once the hut is deconstructed at the end of the season, all the wood is redistributed to the inhabitants and local associations in a concern of a short circuit of materials.