The incredible Hidden Orchestra, by Alice Labourel

Every now and then I write a post that motivates me and fires me up so much that I get my partner involved by very excitedly and passionately explaining to him my latest find. This is one of those posts...

These could very possible be the best, most imaginative architectural drawings I've seen in a long time. In fact, the last time I probably saw drawings this inspiring was at university where, as students of Interior Architecture, we had no limits, everything was possible, and our imaginations danced freestyle. Having said that, however, at a student level I never came across anything as sophisticated as the work featured today. It is exceptional and gob-smackingly well executed.

The illustrator of these extravagantly creative and intelligent ideas is a young French graduate student by the name of Alice Labourel. Studying architecture at Ecole Spécial d'Architecture in Paris, Alice Labourel's project is called The Hidden Orchastra, a building designed to be a dance school. It is an incredible concept that, as part of the structure of the building, takes into consideration three different entities, the movement of the dancers, the flow of the river below the building's site, and the rhythm of the trains that periodically pass by the building. These three elements all influence the building in that they cause it to move and sway as it constantly and continuously reflects the life in and around its structure.

For me personally, this type of thinking is a signature of someone who was born to be an architect. The approach is one born out of a determined fearlessness to imagine a different world, one that dares to concoct a way to challenge conventions, and, moreover, is married with an incredibly mature illustrative talent that allows the architect to depict that which harbours in their imagination. I love these drawings, they simply take my breath away and I can look at the details for hours on end. Am I wrong to admit that Alice Labourel's work reminds me of Lebbeus Woods' work? Maybe, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't so...

I invite you to read Alice Labourel's own description of her work for a more in-depth understanding of her thought process. I also recommend that you read the original article on the Dezeen blog. This article is particularly interesting because there are reader comments that are quite strongly either for or against Alice Labourel's extravagant and original thinking. Through these comments I realise in what a controlled and ordered world we live in and the fear we have of questioning the status quo. But this is my personal feeling, please feel free to leave me your own comments and thoughts.

Source - Dezeen

Images via - Alice Labourel