Suspended Senses is a hanging garden created for multisensory enjoyment. Based on vegetation, local crafts and traditional vernacular use of natural resources, it presents a garden with an ecological conscience that awakens feelings of well-being.
It is structured in the form of vaulted walks that meet at a larger domed space. Between the ground and the roof, the environment is suspended through “hanging planters” – which focus on three main aspects of future development: the provenance of materials, freshwater shortages and the importance of natural beauty.
Plant fibres delimit the space and, together with craft ceramics, they are references to the correct use of existing resources and to an appreciation of hand-made production. These materials transmit warmth and are common to many different cultures.
The growth of vegetation is conditioned by the existence of water, which, as we know, is a scarce resource. To highlight the lack of bodies of freshwater on Earth, this garden measures it out, contains it and preserves it – by using “planters”, the indoor planting of the garden is divided into individual units. The “inner universe” that is the garden becomes a reflection of the water stress that unites us. Framed by canes and natural rope, the plants inside appeal to our eyes, nose and palate. In contrast, the path outside allows us to investigate the suggestions of forms, plant surfaces, soil and the coming together of all these materials.
The outside garden acts as a perimeter, a space for traffic that invites us to move past the vaults. The ground – fresh earth –, the structure – through which the interior can be discerned –, and the ground-level vegetation are the exact opposite of the hanging vegetation in the interior.
Suspended Senses is an allegory of the fundamental role of all gardens in human happiness. Natural beauty is equally present in the damp and dry gardens; in the overall space, moisture joins aridity in a “garden of transitions”, a temporary natural space that seeks to be affected by the passing of the seasons while continuing to awaken senses.
Suspended Sense | Ponte de Lima | Esther Rodríguez Ramos & Carlos Sánchez Patón
CONSTRUCTION | Municipio de Ponte de Lima
CLIENT | Municipio de Ponte de Lima
YEAR | 2013
