This Thursday, December 5, 2024, the LUGA had the honor of being welcomed at the Residence of H.E. Marc Ungeheuer, Ambassador of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Paris, for a gathering with French landscape architects selected to participate in the LUGA 2025 open-air exhibition.
This event provided a unique opportunity to showcase this large-scale initiative and to strengthen collaborative ties between France and Luxembourg in the fields of landscape architecture and artistic creation.
As part of the international call for applications launched by LUGA in 2022, 10 international gardens were selected. Among these projects, six French landscape architectural firms impressed a jury of professionals and international experts.
These projects will form part of the 11 km route along the green belt of Luxembourg City, bringing to life the theme of the exhibition, “Making the Invisible Visible.” This theme will be explored in diverse and original ways by creators from France, Luxembourg, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and other countries.
During the event, the French designers had the opportunity to present their urban gardens, each offering unique and innovative interpretations of the theme “Making the Invisible Visible”:
- Atelier Faber, led by Luca Antognoli and Gabriel Pontoizeau, presented Solum, a landscape and spatial installation highlighting the crucial role of soil permeability in water cycle management. Crafted from reeds and Luxembourgish sandstone, this structure is located at the site of a former well in Luxembourg City. The work invites visitors to reflect on the reclamation of inert soils by living organisms – a process that restores their porous nature, essential for mitigating droughts and floods.
- Racine Carrée, led by Mathieu Allain, presented Le chant de l’Alzette, an installation created in collaboration with Thomas Van Eeckhout’s Atelier Ty Maap. This project is deeply rooted in the site’s unique identity, aiming to establish a harmonious balance between the dominant mineral infrastructures, the Alzette river, the vegetation, and the human presence. The invisible yet acoustic presence of the Alzette is highlighted through a ground pattern that represents the characteristic shape of a sound frequency. Primarily constructed from bio-based materials, the project incorporates elements from recycling channels, making it entirely recyclable and upcyclable.
- Atelier LJN, led by Richard Mariotte, presented Les périscopes, an urban garden that invites visitors to view the Bock rock, its history, and its flora through the lens of interactive mirrors, offering a fresh perspective through an optical device.
- Atelier eem and Paysarchitectures, led by Gilles Brusset, presented Racines du futur, an ephemeral garden that combines sculptural creation, diverse uses, and exuberant plant growth. The project unfolds in three phases: first, the fertile soil is restored; next, giant roots emerge from the hillside; and finally, climbing plants wind majestically towards the sky. By symbolically accelerating time, this installation invites viewers to imagine a spectacular reclamation of the Alzette valley by nature.
- OUPAPO, led by Luc Meinrad, presented Après l’effondrement, a chaotic landscape resulting from a rocky collapse, yet the healing power of plant colonization creates a paradoxically welcoming space. Drawing on the site’s geomorphology (the foot of the cliff), the Après l’effondrement garden is organized around a rubble pile. It is a garden of reclamation, showcasing the restorative power of plant colonization.
- Atelier du Vivant, led by Cyril Servettaz and represented by Ann Muller, presented Tryptique, an urban garden designed to highlight, amplify, and question the interrelationships between three processes: the growth of spontaneous plants, the fruiting of fruit trees, and the network created by pollinating insects.
We would like to express our deep gratitude to H.E. Marc Ungeheuer for his invitation and support in promoting LUGA in France. Our thanks also go to Mr. Georges Eischen, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Paris, for his warm welcome and commitment to showcasing this event.
LUGA 2025 promises to be a unique platform for creation and dialogue, highlighting the talents of landscape architects and the importance of green spaces in our urban societies. This gathering in Paris marks a significant step in preparing for the exhibition and in establishing cultural bridges between France and Luxembourg.