Observation Tower

OBSERVATION TOWER 

Category: Project in Progress / Permanent Installation

Location: Carcassonne, France

Medium: Polished Steel, Painted Steel

Dimensions: 25’x10’x20’

Edition: Unique Edition

Collection: Permanent Collection Centre Pompidou, Maquette

Client: Private Client

Year Completed: 2013 / In Progress

Art in Public Places: No / Private

Public Art Program: Direct Commission

Description: Saracino was asked to design an Observation Tower on the grounds of an old house in the countryside surrounding the southern French city of Carcassonne, just southeast of Toulouse. The two-story historical villa lacked a high point from which the panorama of the beautiful landscape could be fully appreciated. The owner’s request was for Saracino to create a tower that would provide this view and also serve as a landmark in the region, which would allow visitors and local residents to view the countryside from an advantageous height. The 25-foot tower is also reminiscent of Carcassonne’s many castle towers, historically used to maintain military control of the territory. The tower is built from a series of stainless steel tubes woven in space and anchored to a free-floating red steel staircase that begins from an entrance that extends into a diving board and ends in an open-air bench, allowing the owner and guests to enjoy the view from an elevated perch.