Text by Joan Roig

I usually do not speak or write about a work that I do not know personally, mainly out of caution, but also out of modesty. It is difficult to venture an opinion on something you do not know personally because sometimes reality can contradict what the images assure.

I have known and admired the work of Michèle & Miquel since their first works in Cap Roig and I have regularly followed their career, not only for their work in public spaces but also for their few but interesting building projects. Therefore, in the case of the project "The Dark Line" that they have designed in Taiwan, I think I can allow myself to make an exception and talk about it, even if only briefly.
I first became aware of "The Dark Line" during the process of selecting works for the exhibition "The New Realists," and later, and more deeply, when I chaired the jury for the FAD International Prize, in which the project was awarded. These circumstances, but also the interest that the project aroused in me from the beginning, allowed me to study it based on the extensive documentation to which I had access.

The first thing to note is that "The Dark Line", although it represents a quantitative leap about the work that Michèle & Miquel have developed since their beginnings, retains the character and register with which they usually work, successfully overcoming the difficulties that the location and the change in scale might initially have caused them.


The Park in Cap Roig by Michèle & Miquel. Photograph by Imma Jansana.

The authors write in the project report that it was necessary to accomplish important works to open to the public the road that connects Mudan to Sandaoling, crossing a tunnel and overcoming important differences in level. But they make it clear that they have nevertheless intervened in the land "without touching it" and "without cutting down any trees", and add: "hiding the project's efforts to let the landscape speak for itself".

This desire to overcome the problems of the site without touching it and without showing the effort involved has always been one of the main characteristics of their way of working and is evident in the stylized section, already tested in the Les Gorges du Mondony project in France, where they show a great ability to prioritize the comfort of the road, leaving the difficulty of its construction in the background.


Abbey Square in Mas d'Agenais by Michèle & Miquel. Photograph by Vincent Boutin.

The systematization of resources in the face of the disparity of situations, which is explicit in the axonometry that accompanies the images, is another of their usual mechanisms, in this case skillfully resolved by the use, as the only visible material, of corrugated steel bars and an intelligent geometric development, already proven in other projects such as the one at Center Bourg in Mas d'Agenais.

For Michèle & Miquel, the impossibility of isolating the work from its environment and the intervention of what already exists is obvious. Nevertheless, the intellectual distance that they maintain between the site and the project is characteristic and testifies to the fact that both belong to different worlds, one linked to the realm of reality and the other to the realm of ideas.


The Fairgrounds in Treffort by Michèle & Miquel. Courtesy of Michèle & Miquel.

In this context, the key to their work lies in the search for elements that allow both worlds to come together and unite them effectively. Therefore, the appropriateness of the use of the material and the appropriate geometry is the key that allows the project to acquire the necessary strength to become the protagonist of the story. In this way, the beauty of the result comes from the logic and respect for the place, as well as from the coherence and suitability of the solution adopted.

For Michèle & Miquel, not touching the place is the best way to understand it.
 
Text by Joan Roig

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Architects
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Michèle & Miquel. Lead architects.-  Michèle Orliac, Miquel Batlle.
Landscape architect.- Da Vision Design. Chung-Hsun Wu.
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Location
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Taiwan, Sandiaoling - Ruifang District, New Taipei City. Republic of China.
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Joan Roig Duran has taught Architectural Projects at the ETSAB since 1984, and has lectured at the Barcelona School of Agriculture and been visiting professor at the following schools, among others: the Academie van Boukunst (Rotterdam, Holland); Delft University of Technology (Holland); the ILAUD-International Laboratory of Architecture and Urban Design (Urbino, Italy); the IUAV-Istituto Universitario di Architettura (Venice, Italy); the Faculty of Architecture (Genoa, Italy); the ITU, Faculty of Architecture of Istanbul (Turkey); Washington University (St. Louis, USA); the University of Illinois (Chicago, USA); the École Supérieure du Paysage de Versailles (France); the Technische Universität (Munich, Germany); Universität Stuttgart (Germany), and the School of Architecture of Navarre (Pamplona).

His work has won several awards and has been the subject of several publications.

 
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Michèle & Miquel is an architecture urbanism and landscape atelier, based in Barcelona, Spain and Toulouse, Francia. It was founded in 1996 by Michèle Orliac and Miquel Batlle.

The team take part in the development of public spaces, urban facilities, strategic points, urban peculiar situations…etc. The philosophy of their work lies in the relationship between the city, architecture and nature, urban planning and landscape architecture and the articulation of different scales: from territorial scale to detail.

Throughout the professional life of the study, many projects have been developed in different topics such as Public spaces and urban facilities (Hortus wineries in Valflaunes, Wallon Marcadau refuge in the National Park of Pyrenees, or the canopies in Vieux Boucau); Director plan of public spaces (Director plan beach in VIEUX BOUCAU in the Atlantic Ocean).

Many projects have been recognized in national and international awards including:

By The Dark Line: AFEX Award 2023 (FR), BEAU XVI Award (ESP), Landezine International Landscape Award 2023, Arquin fad 2023 (ESP), IFLA ASIA PAC Excellence Award 2023, Architettura LOVERS il Premio 2023 (ITA), INT. design Grand Prix du Design paysage & territoires 2023, (CAN), WLA Merit Award Winner 2023, Taiwan Environment Lighting 2023, Building of the Year METALOCUS 2023 (ESP).
 
Award, The 7th Taiwan Landscape 2019.
First prize in the FAD 2017 award. International category with the project Le Jardin NIEL in TOULOUSE, France.
Selected in the international Mies van der Rohe 2017 award with the project Winery in Montpellier, France.
First prize in the FAD 2011 award, landscape and city category, with de project Aigües Park in Figueres, Spain.
First prize in the Trophées de l’aménagement Urbain award three times: at Pams Port Street in Vendres, France; at the ARLES SUR TECH square, France; and at the fairground in Treffort, France.
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dA VISION DESIGN is an architecture studio founded by Chung-Hsun Wu that offers comprehensive consulting services in urban design and landscape architecture. The team combines experiences in landscape architecture, architecture, urban design and urban planning. Passion for space, environment and people resonates within the team, influencing their work, values and professional approaches. With a reserve of optimism and professional skills, they skillfully tailor their services to precisely meet client needs.

​The core value of dA VISION DESIGN is to systematically apply site analysis, sensitively coordinate spatial and functional elements, and then seamlessly integrate them with construction knowledge to formulate holistic design alternatives. Their unwavering commitment includes providing meticulous attention and engaging in innovative problem solving, infusing each project with unique aspects and motivations.
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