The life of a material, the life of a building and the life of its inhabitant come together to shape the geological life in the Anthropocene. The metaphysical immanence of the stone becomes almost present as one stands between the quarried rocks, the stacked limestones and the modern fluid concrete. It is there, where the eye clearly sees how the human ambition has become the dominant agent in the transformation of our landscapes.

Located in the quarry of Dumont-Wauthier, the two volumes will become home to the collections of Pierre Lineri – a geophysicist at the Royal Observatory of Belgium. Different forms of representation have been used in this project in order to emphasize the evolution of stone as a building material; starting with its natural form during the ‘deep time’ and ending with the artificial stone of the Anthropocene – concrete. These different forms of stone become visible as one walks around and inside the two volumes.

Inspired by the ‘double negative’ of Heizer, the first intervention on site is the excavation of the cliff; creating a deep narrow pathway that leads to the first volume. After being exposed to the vast openness of the quarry and as you enter the narrow path, you become surrounded by extensive surfaces of stone that hold within themselves the history of their formation. At the end point, turning to the left, a massive limestone wall is now in front of you.

Built traditionally in massive walls of limestone, the first volume serves as a workplace for Pierre Lineri. Surrounded by walls of lime plaster and standing among his rocks, books, tools and ornaments, Lineri observes these excavated surfaces of the quarry that seem almost natural, yet are known to be the most significant traces of human action in the Anthropocene.

Walking behind the limestone volume, you are now standing in-between three states of stone as you perceive the evolution of the material and contemplate the aesthetical change on Earth due to human ambition. In front of you lies the concrete volume, which embraces its plasticity by touching the rough surface of the cliff, reminding you of its former fluid state. The concrete volume which serves as a measuring station is made out of nothing else but concrete, with a sole opening on the top facing the cliff. The sudden breaks within Earth are recorded in the old seismograph which stands perfectly still on the flat concrete pedestal. These two volumes, standing alone and together, with the play of materials and the story of a fictional character, raise a critique on the consciousness and awareness of the new geological epoch.

The project was developed during the Sustainable Architecture course at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven).

KOOZ What prompted the project?

GI Initially, the notions of quarries, artificial landscapes and the Anthropocene were discussed in the studio ‘The Big Hole’ at KU Leuven, taught by professor Lars Fischer. As each student was free to choose their own path of exploring these topics and to create a personal perception regarding concrete as a material, I was mostly driven by the realm of geology. We started with a theoretical approach, where I developed an interest in the interconnection between human and geological action that had been elaborated in many writings. I was mostly inspired by Jane Bennet’s Vibrant Matter, where I encountered Deleuze’s concept of immanence for the first time.

These readings pushed me towards creating a very different perception of materials, especially concrete. In the meantime, visiting the quarry was a fundamental step in bridging these concepts. After a few months of research, I was determined I wanted to design something that would grow deep in this quarry - something that would not make sense to stand in any other landscape.

KOOZ What questions does the project raise and which does it address?

GI As capitalism globally organizes itself, there seems to be a rising detachment of humans from non-human entities. The agency of these entities is hardly visible as the world moves towards a very anthropocentric approach. The project calls for a draw back from this system, and strongly criticizes the commodification of nature.

KOOZ How does the project understand and define the role and potential of architecture within the Anthropocene?

GI A crucial concern addressed in the project is the low awareness on the exponential growth of human impact on Earth, and consequently the Anthropocene as the current geological epoch. As you walk around the two volumes, at some point you will end up surrounded by the quarried stones, the limestone wall, and the flat concrete surface in front. Here, you are surrounded by the evolution of stone as a building material, and it makes you question what is natural and not anymore. What does the human footprint look like right now, and how different will it look in the future? This vastly growing urban footprint and the uncontrolled use of natural resources within architecture automatically give this field a lot of potential and expectations for change.

KOOZ What drew you to explore the work of Luigi Lineri?

GI The decision to design a seismic measuring station came with the idea of using the site’s current state to its benefits. As the quarry of Dumont-Waither was abandoned a couple of decades ago, vegetation has already started to grow back on its steps – giving this man-made abyss an almost natural look. The identity of the project became even stronger with the decision of creating a fictional character as the inhabitant of it. I was very invested in giving life to this character, to the materials around it, and to the building itself. The character started as a passionate geophysicist who simply used this place to crawl out of the suffocated world, and search for his pure subjectivity.

As described earlier, the project revolves a lot around stones, for which I had grown a passion thanks to my dear friend Pierre who has been collecting rocks ever since he was a little child. I wanted to give this characteristic to my fictional character as well, but of course, I wanted to dig deeper. It was then, when I encountered Luigi Lineri, an Italian poet, artist, and stone collector. In search of stones along the Adige for the last 40 years of his life, Lineri defined his passion as “a push, an instinct, a desire, a wish that was impossible to explain.”. His poetry in stones is immensely breathtaking, and it was absolutely what I was hoping to give to my character. That is where the name of my character—Pierre Lineri—derives from.

KOOZ How does the project respond to the work and inhabitation of this character?

GI The details given to the character would inevitably result in other details in the design. The first volume, which is the workplace of Lineri, felt no need to be designed by the hand of an architect. His passion filled the room with objects that generate the atmosphere of the room. In this case, the project revolves around the character, and the character revolves around the room.

On the other hand, the second volume hosts the seismograph of Pierre Lineri. Built completely in concrete, this volume only faces the surface of the cliff – standing completely closed from the openness of the quarry. It does not need views, bright light, or insulation. It stands true to its only function – holding a flat pedestal for the seismometer to record the breaks of earth for an undefined time.

Frank Lloyd Wright’s essay from 1928 on the meaning of materials has been quite influential in the use of concrete in my project. According to Wright, aesthetically, concrete has neither song nor story. “Poor concrete, still looking for its own at the hands of Man”, he writes. But what Wright considers as concrete’s only aesthetic value, is its plasticity. And that is what I have tried to embrace in the second volume—a plastic material, offering something that a stone cannot.

KOOZ What is ultimately the objective of the project?

GI What I really appreciate at KU Leuven is that they try to move us away from the traditional way of thinking in architecture. As a student, you are set free. You are not limited to architecture only. You read a lot on philosophy, anthropology, sociology - any field out there. And then you create your own position, from where you become more critical. It enhances creativity, and I believe that one of the objectives of my project is to emphasize that. It calls for new forms of analysis and representation in architecture.

As you can notice, my character is trying to do the same. He has created a place to escape, and to be. This built environment does not need electricity, nor any other infrastructure. In the illustration of his workplace, we see him sitting on his chair, contemplating - but we do not know what. By experimenting with the aesthetics of the Anthropocene, these illustrations resemble a ‘future nostalgia’. It can be interpreted in different ways, based on what the viewer believes will happen in the future.

Bio

Born in Albania and raised in Kosovo, Gjiltinë Isufi is currently studying in Ghent, Belgium. Upon completion of her bachelor studies at the University of Prishtina, Gjiltinë was awarded the Master Mind Scholarship which enabled her to study Masters of Architecture at KU Leuven. She is currently in search of new methods of architectural representation, with the aim of bringing together theoretical concepts, hand drawings and the digital world.