Rausa : derived from the Old French ros, meaning “reed” in English
Rausa, an exhibition of poetry and ecological positioning, compels visitors to think about the development of the city of Reims in its relationship with its natural environment and about whether the destruction of wetlands is contributing to flooding.

Artists Luca Antognoli and Gabriel Pontoizeau, the founders of Atelier Faber, pay homage to reeds – iconic wetland plants entrenched in the collective mind. Reeds are traditionally used to make thatch roofing, and here, this plant is the sole material used for a circular pavilion opened to the sky above, in the centre of the courtyard of honour at the Musée Saint-Remi. Bundles of reeds are stacked on top of one another to form a solid outer wall of cut reed stems, contrasting with a sensitive and delicate interior composed of the reed flowers, brought to life by the path of the Sun and breath of the wind.

Rausa is a metaphor, personifying what remains of the green space in the heart of our region, in order to raise awareness about its progressive decline and to support its preservation and development.
The reed bundles used for building Rausa are raw and unprocessed. Supplied by the company Rosobren (creator of organic and geo-sourced reed-based materials), they will be reused so that they can be converted into various products for a sustainable approach to a circular economy and zero waste.

Team: 
Architect: Atelier Faber
Photographer: Giaime Meloni

Materials used: 
Reed