Hoegaarden Urban Oasis was a temporary interactive outdoor installation that challenged the relationship between urban and natural environments and looked at the effect this manipulation of space has on city dwellers.
With the Hoegaarden Urban Oasis, OSA created a living piece of nature in the heart of the city. This installation formed a physical and mental oasis for urbanites to step into, interact with and unwind from city life. Like most of the OSA’s work, the piece sets out to make people re-evaluate their urban environment by confronting them with strong natural elements.
The installation took the form of a natural pub that grows out of a turf carpet:
First the lawn was laid on top of a timber structure, and then the plan of a 60-seater bar was drawn on the lawn using machines normally used for painting on sports lines. These included the tables and chairs, bar, stools, windows and walls. A surreal touch was added by the inclusion of a box on the turf with the project titles normally found on a 2D plan. Next came the turfed-topped furniture. Nearest the entrance it was low lying so that users are literally immersed in nature, rising up in height until it reached the bar counter with a full-height bar. Instead of the customary bank of obscure spirit bottles found behind the bars of most pubs, this had a display of flowers interspersed with Hoegaarden bottles and branding. Signs around the installation read; “Keep on the grass” and the jukebox was playing sounds from nature as opposed to the latest chart music.
