MARKERS
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Markers project, urban installation.
Commissioner : City of Grenoble.
Manufacturer : Tôlerie Forézienne.
Completion 2023.
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The Markers project is a generic urban system consisting of markings and urban furniture, identifying the streets of the city of Grenoble that have been transformed into a “Place(s) aux enfants” (Public spaces for children). Newly designed as pedestrian zones for children, in front of nursery and primary schools in every neighbourhood, each street, which has been made greener and landscaped, features markers for the three fundamental areas : the entrance, the concourse and the linear space.
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The landscaped entrance keeps motorised vehicles at bay by changing the perception of the street, which now resembles a park or a garden. The central concourse is the area for congregating in front of the school. The linear space is for pedestrians, outdoor, recreational and sports activities.
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The various markers consist of road markings and street furniture, reclaiming the road for and by the children through a new recreational relationship with and claim to the land.
The design of the markings and the street furniture is geometrically simple. The surfaces and tubular structures are generous and rounded, in a very light and reflective colour. The wooden elements bring softness and warmth.
The ground markings are white to reduce the heat of the dark surfaces in summer. These white geometric surfaces combine to form refreshing zones on which to gather, socialise or draw.
The furniture is also painted white. It provides a continuation of the ground markings in reflective projections that stand out from the urban landscape. The functional surfaces and the elements that provide grip are made of wood, to temper the areas in contact with the body in summer and winter.
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The landscaped entrance consists of a “Place aux Enfants” (Children’s Area) sign and planted areas with tubular contours that can be used as balancing beams. The positioning of these markers is done organically to break from the grid street plan for cars. The entrance signage is created according to the configuration of the street, either with 2D typography on the ground or “Cairn” street furniture. This urban furniture is made up of mobile letters that children can play with to rearrange the name of this zone designed for them and, in this way, actively practise their reading and writing skills on the signage in the heart of the urban space. It is a way of providing them with access to urban space and objects.
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The area in front of the school features a “platform” providing a central piece of equipment to be shared, around which people can gather, sit, play, and wait, for children to stand on to reach adult height, for adults to stand on and look for their child in the crowd as they leave the school, etc. The slightly sloping platform enables children to select the height of the seat around the perimeter to suit their size and to stimulate the motor skills of young children who are encouraged to climb in an urban landscape surrounded by mountains.
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The “Playground” located on a linear section of the street, between the entrance and the concourse, makes it possible to encourage and facilitate games and sports (ball games, unrestricted use of a net, etc.), modifying and transforming the perception of a traffic thoroughfare into a recreational area.
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Resin floor markings.
Stainless steel sheet metal work and ironwork.
Industrial paint.
Class 4 solid wood.
Wood milling.
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Various dimensions
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