Think of how the late Austrian artist-architect Hundertwasser disguised an incineration plant as a work of art, and you'll understand what Belgian architect Luc Lodewyckx is up to.
Some conduits can sometimes stick out like a sore thumb in a natural surroundings. Lodewyckx and his Belgian-based company, LML, have found a way to turn recycled PVC into a functional and aesthetic chameleon. That way, they've been able to blend PVC into greenhouses, verandas, parks and other public spaces.
''We want to explore different avenues, based on the idea that PVC is an “extension” of the natural, organic environment,'' says Lodewyckx. ''Our designs are based on the belief that PVC, which is weather-resistant, can be used in any outdoor green spaces as a functional, structural material but also as an artistic feature.”
''It is a sustainable product which enhances the environment through the use of different shapes and colours. PVC’s adaptability opens up a multitude of possibilities, in both public and private applications,'' he says. ''Moreover, it requires very little maintenance.''
Why PVC? “It's easily moulded and it has important mechanical properties such as its resistance against chemical abrasion and weather conditions. It also offers many possibilities for surface finishing – actually, it was quite impossible to find another material with such properties!” says Lodewyckx.
Some examples: By perforating PVC pipes, they can be filled with soil and plants can grow through the openings. “We call these objects flowering totems” says Lodewyckx.
He says “PVC & Nature” gets its inspiration from floating or underwater objects, abstract structures, and massive artifacts as well as sophisticated objects with surfaces or volumes generated with mathematical equations or geometric properties.
And maybe, there's a bit of Hundertwasser in there somewhere...
© Mullverbrennungsanlage Spittelau
