An island stands in the centre of the étang de Clermont : four landscape architects have set foot there, to display a blank page open on to the Hortillonnages, a snow-white artistic gesture. Rather than a medium, the island becomes a work of art: at the entrance to the plot, a cabin made out of dark wooden planks has been preserved in its original condition so as not to alter its wooden architecture. Only its main façade has been exposed to the landscape, a window open to the tranquil presence of the water and the surrounding tangle of vegetation. The rectangle thus created frames the view like a picture, while the interior of the dwelling, painted white, is transformed into a light, intimate and tranquil room. The rest of the island also fits in with the white theme: thirty or so varieties of flowers have been planted in a flower meadow, an undulating stratum which emphasises the area’s slight gradient. On the banks, the tree trunks have been whitewashed to reveal their architectural strength. For relaxing, trampoline netting stretched over metal frames is transformed into giant sun loungers. The reversible installation delicately questions the future, ready to move aside to welcome future generations.

Stanislas Bah Chuzeville, born in 1984, Michael de Tourdonnet, born in 1982, Arnaud Mermet-Gerlat, born in 1985, and Florian Michel are landscape designers and hold Master’s degrees in architecture and landscaping from the University of   Liège – Gembloux-Agro-Bio Tech, in Belgium. Together, they founded the collective “Les jardiniers nomads” to take part in the Amiens Hortillonnages festival, a challenge which fits in with their idea of the profession of landscape designer, as a creator of non-transposable spaces, rooted in a particular area.

Stanislas BAH-CHUZEVILLE, Richard MARIOTTE, Arnaud MERMET-GERLAT and Michaël de TOURDONNET from Agence LES JARDINIERS NOMADES are the winners of AJAP 2016 given by French Ministry of Culture and Communication for the five best young european landscapers.