martin robitsch studio

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flying gardens

elevating natural elements from the ground floor
up to the living areas of the elderly residents

In 2012 mischer’traxler studio and Martin Robitsch were approached by the curators of Liquid Frontiers to develop a project for the inner courtyards of a residential care facility for the elderly in Vienna.
The landscape designs for the ground-level of the yards were already planned with a water pond and a fern garden. Due to the immobility of some residents and the fact that the yard is not accessible, the designers decided to bring the elements of the ground floor up to the people. In steady motion and balanced choreography, twenty water sieves or twenty ferns slowly pass the windows of the communal rooms and fill the yards with contemplating movement. While the the ferns arrange automatically in various patterns and formations allowing to see different arrangements throughout the day the sieves fill with water at their lowest point. Once they are pulled up again, the water trickles down again, filling the yard with small water-drops.

Dimensions
fern yard:
15 x 12 x 20 meters (6 stories high)

water yard:
15 x 12 x 24 meters (7 stories high)

curated by
liquid frontiers

a project by
mischer’traxler studio and Martin Robitsch

concept phase
2012

realisation
2014/2015

client
KAV Vienna / Pflegewohnhaus Donaustadt

construction flying gardens
Indat

archtitects
DMAA architects

landscape architecture
Rajek & Barosch

video documentation
trick-my-film