The Third Train

In the forest of Compiègne, the Armistice Clearing marks the signing of 11 November 1918 in a now famous railway carriage. The Garden of the Third Train, a Franco-German project designed by Marc Blume (landscape architect), Gilles Brusset (artist) and Francesca Liggieri (architect), shapes the path leading from the car park to the clearing.

The winding paths echo both the lines of the trenches and the mycelial network in the forest floor, defining planted pockets in the undergrowth. A long low bench set with dozens of mirrors crosses the site, reflecting sky and foliage: a third train, the train of peace.

The garden won first prize at the European Garden Award, contemporary gardens category, from the European Garden Heritage Network (EGHN).

The project on the artist’s website

The project on the Art & Jardins | Hauts-de-France website

UOTNI role

Co-design

Client

Art & Jardins | Hauts-de-France

Designers

Francesca Liggieri, Gilles Brusset, Marc Blume

Materials

Wood, plants, mirror

Date

2019

Location

Compiègne (60200)

Execution

Technical design, fabrication and installation: UOTNI

Award

First prize, European Garden Award (EGHN), contemporary gardens

Photography

© Pierre-Yves Brunaud