Muz YerMuz YerMuz Yer
The ThamVidegård project for Muz Yer – a permanent public art exhibition featuring birdhouses designed by eight international architectural practices – is located on a small island in the river Vilaine, which flows through central Rennes. By studying some of the specific species this birdhouse is aimed at—including the wagtail, blue tit, black redstart, flycatcher and robin—it was concluded that they all require fairly small units placed not too far above the ground.
Taking its double function as both habitat and sculptural object as a starting point, we looked for a simple principle to generate a piece that could produce architectural depth with minimal material. Inspired by paper planes or swallows that children play with—a form of basic origami—we proposed a zigzagging section of steel sheets that creates a pleated and folded geometry. The result is a wall that, observed from the side, seemingly lacks thickness but, within its pleated structure, hides a small colony of bird nests.
Like a tree in a forest, there is neither a front nor a back, just different appearances of light and shadow that shift as one approaches and moves around this habitable wall. The entire construction consists of eight interlocking, pyramid-shaped nests that together provide structural stability. It is painted bright red, the complementary colour of its natural green environment.
