"Hyphen" is an installation commissioned to Geneva architecture studios Giona Bierens de Haan and Leopold Banchini, an infrastructure named "Genève Genève" and deployed along the Mont-Blanc and Gustave-Ador docks, on the shores of Lake Geneva in the city of Geneva, Switzerland.

The project was designed for Genève - Genève festival paying special attention to the concept developed in the 70s by Superstudio an "architecture capable of covering all the contradictions, all the events of daily life: the Continuous Monument”

Giona Bierens de Haan and Leopold Banchini designed a massive unbroken structure spanning across one kilometre, entirely built of assembled scaffolding. A temporary and collective roof for performances, tables, restaurants, bars, stages, or just shade during the festival.

"Yet the idea that architecture could stop being an individual gesture is somehow appealing...

"The continuous walkway of steel bars might be a temporary linear utopia. Brought to life by its users, the ephemeral design is merely an empty receptacle for unplanned activities."

HYPHEN by Giona Bierens de Haan Architectures + Leopold Banchini Architects. Photograph by Dylan Perrenoud

HYPHEN by Giona Bierens de Haan Architectures + Leopold Banchini Architects. Photograph by Dylan Perrenoud.

Project description by Giona Bierens de Haan and Leopold Banchini

“The only form of architecture capable of covering all the contradictions, all the events of daily life: the Continuous Monument”

Superstudio

The massive unbroken grid-like structure spanning across the world dreamed by the radical design group Superstudio reflected their skepticism towards technological progress and the belief that design could solve social problems. The utopian megastructure symbolized the alienating growing homogeneity of global architecture but was also strangely poetic and inspiring for future generations of architects. The dystopian possibility of a future civilization made of uniformity described by Natalini doesn’t seem too far off. Yet the idea that architecture could stop being an individual gesture is somehow appealing...

HYPHEN by Giona Bierens de Haan Architectures + Leopold Banchini Architects. Photograph by Dylan Perrenoud.  HYPHEN por Giona Bierens de Haan Architectures + Leopold Banchini Architects. Fotografía por Dylan Perrenoud.
HYPHEN by Giona Bierens de Haan Architectures + Leopold Banchini Architects. Photograph by Dylan Perrenoud.

"Hyphen" is a one-kilometer long infrastructure used for the “Genève Genève” festival. A structure entirely made of scaffolding temporarily assembled here before returning to the constant flux of standardized construction materials. A collective roof for performances, tables, restaurants, bars, stages, or just shade. The continuous walkway of steel bars might be a temporary linear utopia. Brought to life by its users, the ephemeral design is merely an empty receptacle for unplanned activities. Transgressing urban divides, the public monument aims to unite the city for a short celebration of daily life.

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Architects
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Client
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Dates
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2024.

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Location / Venue
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Quai du Mont-Blanc, Quai Gustave-Ador, Geneve, Switzerland. 

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Photography
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Giona Bierens de Haan graduated from the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in 2012. A former founding member of the collective, “Le Repaire Fantastique”, he has been working under his own name since 2018. His multifaceted practice develops spaces, objects, scenographies and images.

He collaborates with numerous cultural entities: Visions du Réel, Rencontres d’Arles, Belluard Bollwerk… His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. He lives and works in Geneva.
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Leopold Banchini was born in Geneva in 1981 and is an architect graduated from the EPFL (Ecole Polytechinique Fédérale de Lausanne). He is also Master in Architecture from the University of Lausanne (2007) and graduate of the Glasgow School of Art (2004).

Is a visiting professor in the HEAD (Haute Ecole de Design et) in Geneva since 2010 and Assistant Professor at the EPFL since 2009. He has also been Archozoom project designer in 2009.

Has been placed in Lot / ek Architects (New York) between the years 2004/2005, as an assistant project Art Basel (Basel) in 2005, and as a project partner of the collective Atelier Van Lieshout (AVL) that same year in Rotterdam.

He has developed his work as an architect in b720 Arquitectos (Barcelona) during the years 2007 and 2008, and Group8 Architects (Geneva) in 2009.

In addition, since 2008 part of 1to100 Architects, and architectural collective based in Geneva. Its members have been active and decisive parts in projects such as the winning participation of Bahrain at the last Venice Biennale - RECLAIM Golden Lion 2011, exhibitions such as The Gulf - OMA-AMO's participation at the Venice Biennale 2007 and publications such as AMO-Rem Koolhaas's Al Manakh. Parallel to that, they conduce many different operations ranging from architecture, to journalism, until urban design. They have teaching positions at the EPFL and the University of Arts and Design in Geneva.

Its aim is to take position and initiate reflexions upon our contemporary environment.

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