archrival: concrete colony

concrete colony is a site specific installation for the keystone festival bar during the sydney festival 2012. using an innovative concrete fabric material, concrete canvas, the installation is comprised of gracefully formed chairs, benches and ottomans, which offer both infrastructure and art to the festival bar. the organic forms of the installation are derived from the excellent drape characteristics of the material, and contrast with the formal architecture of the hyde park barracks venue whilst offering guests a playful corner to relax in tactile furniture.

manifested in this work is archrival’s foremost aim to create collaborative projects between skilled design professionals. archrival held workshops over a 5 day period and the invited team were asked to bring a recycled chair ‘relic’ than could be used as formwork for the concrete fabric. the material is cumbersome and at times, intimidating, so each participant saw immediately the value in working together on each piece. gradually a communal notion of authorship developed for the installation which cumulated in all participants contributing to the curation of the pieces on site at the hyde park barracks. this collaboration is as integral to concrete colony as it is to the practice of archrival.

this installation is a composition of 10 adapted furniture pieces that have been wrapped, cloaked and draped with concrete fabric. the site is a world heritage listed venue, and these evocative objects are both functional and sculptural additions to the festival bar, sited beneath an historic tree in the former convict barracks site. the installation is a part of the sydney festival, australia’s leading arts festival held annually in january (www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2012). the pieces were made by a collaborative team of architects, interior designers, a fashion designer, graphic designer & industrial designer.

this project was generously supported by burdens australia.