Press Kit | no. 7731-01
'Temple' Installation at Ministry of Culture Wins Top Prize in International Architecture Festival
Michael Cook Architecture & Design | G2-Studio
Temple (The Last Cheeseburger)
Project description
People like to eat cheeseburgers. A lot of cheeseburgers – around two billion are consumed each year in France alone [1]. At the same time, the country is running out of clean water, along with the rest of the world. And it takes a lot of water to make a single cheeseburger. Over 2500 liters, in fact [2]. That's equivalent to about 5000 single-serve (500 ml) plastic water bottles for one burger! Something has to change, it seems.
The proposal imagines a not-too-distant future where ever-worsening periods of drought, induced by global warming, have necessitated the implementation of much stricter water-rationing measures across the land, augmenting the French government's 2023 Plan d'action pour une gestion résiliente et concertée de l'eau. Many popular foods are banned as a result, including all beef and cheese products. The installation thus serves as a temple dedicated to preserving a memory of the very last cheeseburger, and of all the water that went into making it.
A simple wood frame establishes a rectilinear volume within the courtyard of the Hôtel de Grave. 5000 recycled plastic bottles line the walls – supported by two layers of mesh – creating a diaphanous skin that mediates views across the enclosure, blurring the distinction between inside and out. At the center stands a pedestal, and on top the immortal cheeseburger rests, preserved in a clear acrylic case. Visitors who wish to pay their respects are encouraged to leave flowers, which can be placed in the empty bottles. Over the course of the week, the project is gradually transformed as these flowers accumulate, lining the temple's interior, providing a colorful reminder of our insatiable desire.
sources: 1. rtl.fr, 2. sierraclub.org
Structure: Douglas Fir wood framing
Facade: 5000 recycled plastic water bottles supported by two layers of metal mesh
Cheeseburger: Le Royal Cheese (McDonald's)
Flowers: Alstroemeria, Gypsophila, Dianthus caryophyllus
Michael Cook brings extensive design leadership experience to his role as Founding Director of MC|AD, established in 2023 to explore projects related to sustainability and the natural environment. He has previously worked at some of the world's top architecture studios – including Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Paris, Foster + Partners in London / St. Petersburg, and Behnisch Architekten in Boston – and is the recipient of multiple awards for his independent entries in international design competitions. Michael is a graduate of Princeton University (BSE) and the Yale University School of Architecture (M. Arch.).
About G2-Studio
Garth Goldstein founded G2-Studio in 2010, an architectural practice focused on net-positive energy buildings in diverse locations and climates – including Hawaii, Oregon, New York, Florida, Michigan, and New England. The office has completed projects ranging from a Jesuit retreat center to a mountain house in the Cascades. Installations include a six-person vessel constructed of 150,000 wine corks that sailed the length of Portugal's Douro River. A former visiting architect at the Cité International des Arts in Paris, Garth holds a BA from Brown University and an M. Arch. from Yale University.
For more information
Media contact
- Michael Cook Architecture & Design
- Michael Cook
- info@mc-ad.net
- (+1) 301-928-3431
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