Temporary Installation at a Mountain Festival
The temporary installation "It’s oh so quiet" is the result of an ideas competition organized by Conservation Carpathia during the Făgăraș Fest, held in Sebeșu de Sus, Romania, in 2024. Nestled within the landscape of the Făgăraș Mountains, the competition highlighted two essential themes: the urgent need for the conservation of this unique natural environment and the importance of a responsible approach to design by utilizing local natural resources.
Positioned slightly apart from the main festival, the installation bridges the event and its surroundings, functioning as an organic extension of the natural landscape. Oriented toward the mountains, it encourages visitors to step away from the bustling festival and engage in moments of retreat, contemplation, or spontaneous interaction.
Over the course of the festival, the installation evolved into a prominent feature of the event. It became a lively focal point for festival-goers, serving as tiered seating for relaxed gatherings, shaded areas for rest, a playground for adventurous exploration, and even a setting for intimate nocturnal conversations.
The two faces of the installation serve distinct purposes: the two-sided façade establishes a threshold, creating a sense of isolation. It remains solid, protecting the interior with its precise, rhythmic structure. The interior, on the other hand, is shaped like an amphitheater oriented toward the mountains. This dual orientation enables quiet observation without overt expression, fostering a sense of anticipation. One way to interact with the installation is to climb the outer wall using one of the two corner staircases, while another invites visitors to ascend step by step along the haystack amphitheater, taking deliberate, slow steps.
Hay bales are used as modular elements, easy to handle and forming the entire stepped structure of the amphitheater. The outer and intermediate inner frameworks supporting the hay bales are constructed from locally sourced wood. The installation subtly enriches the nocturnal landscape with the addition of solar-powered luminous spheres.
We envisioned that, over time, the hay would naturally disperse, while the structure itself would be preserved.
