Unexpected Hill
Royal Academy of Arts, London played host to an installation that claims to rediscover the use of ceramics as not just a 2-D decorative material but as a 3-D space that could be used for multiple purposes. Royal Academy of Arts in collaboration with Turkish Ceramics hosted a design event won by So? Architecture and Ideas, a design firm from Istanbul. It is a rather bold urban intervention by the designers. They have placed triangular prism shaped ceramic tiles decked in white and blue in a random zig-zag composition such that it functions as a public seating space. Some volumes have also been intentionally left void and later filled with planters in order to give the structure a whole new dimension. This installation transforms the unused space into a public space that invites people to relax and enjoy the ambiance of Burlighton gardens while interacting with people as well as heritage. Additionally the translucent ceramics have an added feature of lighting up during the night thereby creating a spectacular visual treat thus attracting crowd.
Photography By©Hufton+Crow
According to Servince Bayrak, co-founder of So? Architecture and Ideas “We manipulated a geometrical pattern of triangles to create a 3D form. As an example of using geometry to convert a 2D object into a 3D space, the structural principles of Muqarnas help us create a hill, the highest point of the 3D structure, which will be a tunnel that visitors can pass through.” The firm has succeeded in creating a new scope of use for ceramics which was quite underrated till now. This intervention is also an attempt to transform an underutilized space into a public space by making them more adventurous and catchy without compromising with the identity of its neighborhood.
Type: Public Installation
Size: 100m2
Location: London
Client: Royal Academy of Arts & Turkishceramics
Status: Invited Competition, 1st prize, 2015
Team: Sevince Bayrak, Oral Göktaş, Emine Derya Ertan, Martina Calegari, Julia Tarsten, Arda Bakıryol
By: Vaibhav Sharma