Lucía Martínez Pluchino + Raquel Durán Puente​ design an immersive balloon “tunnel” in Montpellier

For many people, colorful balloons are a playful reminder of their childhoods — from birthday parties to carnivals. Architects Lucía Martínez Pluchino + Raquel Durán Puente took this classic approach in their proposal, “Immersion”, which was installed for the 2017 Festival des Architectures Vives' “Emotion” exhibition this past June.

Visitors got to immerse themselves into a “tunnel” of 500 bright red balloons in one of Montpellier's hidden courtyards. At 6m x 4m x 3m, the installation was held up by a wood structure, 30m2 of fishing nets, and 200 ml of nylon rope. Whether people experienced playfulness, nostalgia, disorientation, or annoyance, the architects believe that no one left their installation feeling indifferent.

Check it out below.