BELFORT CASTLE : an intervention on a historical monument
Belfort Castle has witnessed a series of historical events, wars and changes in ownership, leaving behind an eclectic layering and amalgamation of architectural additions. It has been an endring reference in the "Chkif" region, for more than ten centuries. The image of the fortress escorted by its towers has been frozen in time. As years go by, the fort endures cycles of decay and recurrent acts of vandalism, due to natural events and lack of public awareness. If the trend continues, Belfort Castle's lifetime could be shortned to a couple more centuries.
How can the Fort be saved?
The genesis of the design emanates from the recognition of the site features, developed through three operations:
Operation 1--Boolean(Preserve): This operation takes an imprint of the castle and saves it in a new material.
Operation 2--Move (Protect): This operation moves the cast away from its inverted self, leaving a gap between the new and the old.
Operation 3--Scale (Expose): This operation inflates the new intervention, exposing it to the public, and adapting it to modern times.
Operation 1--Boolean(Preserve): This operation takes an imprint of the castle and saves it in a new material.
Operation 2--Move (Protect): This operation moves the cast away from its inverted self, leaving a gap between the new and the old.
Operation 3--Scale (Expose): This operation inflates the new intervention, exposing it to the public, and adapting it to modern times.
The new addition is elevated above the fort creating two distinct natures, that will never touch, preventing visitors from touching the sacred grounds. A schism, wide and deep, can be seen as a representation of potential for connection and communication between two seemingly disparate entities. It represents the possibility of bridging the gap between the divine and the mortal, infinite and the finite, a reaching out, a desire for connection and understanding.
