OFFICE Kersten Geers David Van Severen . Wonne Ickx

Border Crossing . USA-Mexico

source: courtesy of OFFICE KGDVS . photos and plans:  © Office Kersten Geers David Van Severen

An oblong volume provides a border crossing for pedestrians between Mexico and the US, and interrupts the endless demarcated boundary. A nine-metre high wall defines a no-man’s-land between the two countries. Within the white walls a grid of palm trees imposes order on a large, shaded garden. Pavilions for passport control and administration are spread around here and there, becoming part of the garden. The oasis is a point of reference in the vast Tex-Mex landscape, hidden within the open landscape by its walls. In all its simplicity it raises questions about the desire for the promised land.

International Competition i.c.w. Wonne Ickx, 1st prize
Location: Mexico / U.S.A
Year: 2005