maisonnette marionnette answers Reford Gardens call for a creative “Terrain de jeu” with a whimsical take on a garden house. While this “playground” demands little physical exertion, it challenges one’s sense of depth and perception.

The garden features a minimal wooden frame erected in a grassy meadow. At oppo-site sides of the frame, hang fields of brightly painted wooden dowels. As first glance, the dowels read like clouds of hovering sticks - marionnettes, static and incoherently positioned.

But, visitors to this maisonnette encounter a surprise. As they approach and pass through the enclosure, the marionnettes appear to come to life. Depending upon the perspective from which they are viewed, the dowels align, and quite literally, blossom into flowers before one’s eyes. Sunlight and shadows further activate the space.

maisonnette marionnette offers a playful, interactive experience that is visually stimulating from a distance, but welcomes the curious to stay longer and investigate more.

To minimize any ecological impact, most components can be disassembled and re-in-stalled at a future location.

plan: 1:100

a1

maisonnette marionnette

not to scale

wooden dowels paint string metal mesh dimensional lumber grass

maisonnette marionnette

bloom cycle

side view front view side view

maisonette marionette

metal mesh

wooden frame

string supports

wooden dowels

a2