Description

Hay is dried grass that has been harvested, cut, and dried, primarily for use as fodder for animals, especially herbivores like cows, horses, and rabbits. It typically carries a grassy, earthy aroma, often accompanied by a sweet, pleasant scent. The texture ranges from soft to slightly coarse, with a dry, brittle feel.

Although hay can be found in its loose, uncompressed form, it is more commonly pressed into bales for easier storage, transport, and handling. These bales come in various shapes and sizes – either square or cylindrical – and can range in weight from 70 pounds (32 kg) for smaller bales to as heavy as 800-1,200 pounds (360-540 kg) for large-scale operations.

Student Project “More than stairs: Are stairs the most public space in the city?“ Leia Steiner, Lisa Suremann & Mara Winistörfer (photograph: Philip Frowein)

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How to Use

Hay offers a quick and natural way to cover a space, with its organic form seamlessly adapting to any environment. It softens edges and creates a dynamic topography, transforming the floor or soil into a fluid, dynamic surface. By introducing hay, an agricultural context is brought into the space, evoking feelings of warmth, comfort, and care. As a spatial intervention, hay opens up opportunities to explore transformation processes, such as unsealing or reimagining the function of a space. It invites experimentation with new ways of interacting with the environment and challenges conventional behaviors. For instance, in public spaces, hay might encourage people to engage with their surroundings in unexpected ways – whether by taking the stairs more playfully or lying down in an area typically designed for walking or studying