Today, we do not have other options than changing our attitude and habits in building cities. The waste from our cities should be seen as a resource in the making of the contemporary city.

Still Alive proposes to present an aesthetic garden, using only materials from urban demolition. Waste from the city is used to create a living, recolonised rock garden that is “still alive”, showing the power of natural dynamics, of overgrowth, of life in all its forms, which reclaims its rights over what humans build and reject.

The materials of the city are used to create a contemporary rock garden, where the richness of poor soils is expressed through an adapted pioneer plant palette. Still alive, as a new masterpiece of the romantic park, is located in the main perspective axis of the historic park of Aglié Castell, in Torino Councill.

The garden is made up of two circles:
– rockery;
– meadow.

Rockery:

The rock garden is located on the mineral section above the Fiumi fountain. It is made up of inert waste from demolition. Sorted, it forms the borders of the large circle that contains the garden. This waste, arranged and sorted, is reminiscent of the ruins of romantic gardens, such as those to be found in the park. This large circle contains the planted garden, which is essentially made up of pioneer plants from dry environments.

Here, the aim is to present a diversity of strata that provide habitats for the life of the garden.

Meadow:

The historic park’s main perspective is regularly mowed. Still Alive proposes to show meadows life by stopping mowing. Thus large left-mown circle shows meadow flowering and its essential role in the ecological balance in open space for biodiversity

The large central axis of the historic park is currently mown on a regular basis. The project proposes to highlight the life of the mown meadows. A large circle left unmown will showcase the flowering of the meadow and its essential role in the ecological balance of open space in terms of biodiversity.

Project Data

The project was part of the exhibition titled “Ripensare il paesaggio. 7 giardini per la biodiveristà” (Re-thinking landscape. 7 gardens for biodiversity) organized and curated by Alessandra Gallo Orsi (Castello Ducale di Aglié, Residenze Reali Sabaude), Marco Ferrari (Politecnico di Torino), and Bianca Maria Rinaldi (Politecnico di Torino). The exhibition consisted of seven garden installations and took place in the historic park of Castello Ducale di Aglié from 29 September to 5 November 2023.

Landscape Architecture: WAGON LANDSCAPING

STILL ALIVE – Rocaille Vivante

Photo Credits: Yann Monel

The making of video, also by Yann Monel