
first image
'aqua-scape in the orangery' by F.A.D.S + fujiki studio,west yorkshire, england
image © ryumei fujiki
all images courtesy of F.A.D.S
the orangery's version of 'aqua-scape' by F.A.D.S + fujiki studio is the second iteration in a series of outdoor installations centered around the exploration
of structure and design in nature. the form pushes the capabilities of state-of-the art materials, in particular plastics, to create structure out of pliable sheets.
an expanse of transparent polycarbonate, a weak material in sheet form is immediately made structural by folding, a concept explored thoroughly
in the art of origami. once again the designers used sine-like waves that meet at their crests to create curved spines across the form. the object itself
remains 'boneless' but appropriates the structural methodology of a shrimp in that a transparent shell wraps around a soft core of woven polyethylene fibers.
this inner skin allows the form of the body to find its own resonance in space.
originally floating on water at the echigo-tsumari exchange center in japan, this second version was re-imagined when beam gallery requested the work
for the green oasis of the orangery. even at half the scale of the first floating 'aqua-scape' prototype, the piece holds it's own in the grassy context
and continues the concept of a plastic form finding relevance in nature.

while the first version of aqua-scape floated on water, the second installation makes use of the greenery in the orangery
image © ryumei fujiki
the plastic double skin creates a space two spatial conditions for the user
image © ryumei fujiki

image © porl medlock

the compression and expansion of the ridges creates structure
image © ryumei fujiki

the material and form allow users to interact with the object in various ways
image © ryumei fujiki

image © ryumei fujiki

LED lights are embedded between the skins of the object to highlight the poetic possibilities of plastics
image © ryumei fujiki

the designers borrowed folding methods from the art of origami for the rigid outer layer
image © ryumei fujiki

image © ryumei fujiki
Super!