Joux Valley, Switzerland
“In my opinion, such an ephemeral installation only makes sense if it does not generate waste,” states Swiss Designer Fabien Roy.
“Today we can no longer afford to waste large quantities of materials to satisfy ephemeral events.”
Fabien Roy was commissioned by the non-profit organization Vallée de Joux Tourisme to create a temporary circular installation made from spruce wood in the Vallée de Joux valley, Swiss.
Called “Ephemeral Ring” due to the temporary nature of the installation, the structure was created to mark the bicycle race Tour de France.
The objective: to promote the cultural, natural, and industrial heritage of the region.
“The concept aims to promote the cultural, natural, and industrial heritage of the region in Switzerland—also known as the Watch Valley—during the passage of the Tour de France through the Valley,” Roy states.
“As part of the Tour de France cycling race in the Joux Valley, the tourist office wanted to mark the event by setting up an ephemeral installation visible from the sky.”
Cyclists were invited to ride within 20 meters of the installation starting on July 9 as part of the 3,328-kilometre-long race.
Members of the public also. will be able to walk through the installation on a path that leads to an exhibition of works by local illustrator Jaques Vallotton.
This ephemeral architecture proposes a sculpture symbolizing the geometry of the ring.
This form, directly linked to cycling, also refers to the watchmaking heritage of the Joux Valley.
Made up of 5 km of wooden sticks (20 cubic meters) from local forests (cut to less than 2km), the installation, once dismantled, will be used in the field of construction and will therefore not generate any waste.
The installation, designed to be revealed to television viewers by aerial images during the passage of the Tour de France, is also intended to be interactive for those who visit the site.
Thus, by following the interior path, an exhibition of the local illustrator Jaques Vallotton, alias Valott, can be discovered.
“The visual of the architecture from the sky had to convey a direct and unambiguous message knowing that it would only be visible for a few seconds on television,” Roy continues.
The picturesque area is also home to the watch brand Audemars Piguet, which has a dedicated watchmaking museum here based in a spiral-shaped building, Musée Atelier Audemars Piguet which was designed by architecture studio BIG.
Project: Ephemeral Ring
Designers: Fabien Roy Studio
Client: Vallée de Joux Tourisme
Photographers: Karim Boulaz