B19_#175 // Wet Rooms // Samuel Jaccard and Kimberley Berney
All my senses are engaged as I wander about this curious museum. There’s still an apparent lavender scent clinging to the eroded walls. The sun glistens in the water below. Perfectly still. Amidst the blue and gold, dashes of the brightest orange. Such a sight might only be replicable by squinting at a Monet painting. Koi fish lazily swim around the shallow pool. I take a first cautious step into the water, not wanting to disrupt the beauty taking place. The water is pleasantly warm, and I find myself taking another step, less careful than the first. The splash echoes through the walls that surround me and disrupt the koi’s peaceful routine. They scurry away, causing the water to undulate here and there. As I move around the corner, I discover a still-life hanging effortlessly on the wall in front of me. The play of light emitting from the ripples below make the brush strokes come to life, sprinkling the painting with golden freckles. With every step, the room gets filled with more splashing of light and sound. The painting vibrates to my every move. And as I step out of the water at last, my mind peacefully floats away.
Samuel Jaccard and Kimberley Berney are architecture graduates of EPFL