Sara Godly
MONUMENT / INFRASTRUCTURE – Describing the Invisible. Exploring a neglected monument.

IS IT A MONUMENT OR AN INFRASTRUCTURE?

The sluice Le Corbusier is located on French territory between Kembs and Niffer near the Germanic and Swiss border. It is currently operational for small private boats; in 1995 was replaced by a larger sluice for the purpose of expanding the channel and allowing the passage of trading boats. The two buildings that served as the customs administration and control tower were designed by Le Corbusier between 1959 and 1962 and from 2005 they were taken under special protection after being classified as monuments. No preservation or maintenance work has been conducted since then and the buildings lay abandoned showing severe signs of deterioration. Meanwhile, nature had slowly taken possession of the structure transforming it in various ways according to its needs.

WHAT IF MONUMENTS WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DECAY?

As construction materials inevitably deteriorate over time, constant maintenance must be carried out in order to keep the monument in its best conditions, usually cleaning away the traces of natural imprints. But if those traces are cherished rather than being considered destructive, another valuable layer of the monument is then visible. For it is true that the value of the monument results from the sum of all the various layers have shaped its current appearance over time; from its completion through the diverse reparation works and alterations, the monument changed many times, and it is through its continuous transformation its value is found. Similarly, memory is preserved; what appears to be lost finds another way to show its beauty remaining true to its origins. The designs of Le Corbusier are in fact still present defining the space in which this newly discovered layer is taking shape. They are the support and the reason that allowed the natural agents to create a new perception of the monument.

WHAT COULD THEY LOOK LIKE?

The evident signs of neglect present on the monument have left nature to take hold of the structure. Undisturbed by human presence, nature is constantly transforming its appearance creating new meanings with the monument. A crack in the wall can serve as a substrate for moss growth, an empty room can accommodate insects that are seeking shelter from the cold, and stagnant water can allow the growth of algae and other plants, ... These conditions favour the flourishing of specific organisms that merge with each other and with the monument, eventually creating a different perception and meaning. Starting from a fascinating report written by someone who already had a vision of the possible becoming of the monument and the flourishing of nature in its architectural spaces, I will tell different stories about organisms that are generally unnoticed and that shaped Le Corbusier’s monument.