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ma yansong: floating earth tray for alessi's (UN)forbidden city
'floating earth' by ma yansong for alessi
image courtesy of MAD architects
alessi has invited 7 renown chinese architects (chang yung ho, liu jiakun, urbanus, wang shu, zhang ke, zhang lei and
gary chang, along with ma yansong ) to give their own interpretation of one of alessi's typological archetypes of production: the tray.
a domestic micro architecture, a sort of bridge between two apparently very distant cultures (italy/china).
ma yansong of MAD architects has used this occasion to break into industrial design with his 'floating earth' project.
it is a three tiered tray that uses mahogany and stainless steel to visually represent the idea that, although we live on earth,
we only see one layer of a vast mass.
image courtesy of MAD architects
the organic forms of the steel are continued in the shape and grain of the wood.
'a tray , like earth, holds many things.
we look to the earth
but see see only what rests upon it.
she fades from sight,
and seems not to exist.
upon which all is reflected;
the home, the city.
an ever-expanding scope.
each rising layer, then, a tower storey.
an unscripted space full of kinetic potential.
but rooted in the still, same earth.
there is nothing without the earth
she can leave anytime.
it is the blue sky that she loves.'
ma yansong
the '(UN)forbidden city' exhibition design
the eight projects were presented for the first time to the public in a
preview exhibition at the shijitan contemporary art center and
during beijing design week 2011 at the aether art space gallery in sanlitun.
the exhibition concept and the design of the '(UN)forbidden city' exhibition was curated by gary
chang, in collaboration with the
beijing industrial design center / mr. chen dong liang.
the gallery space is transformed into a mahjong playing room. instead of having the usual busy and noisy game
atmosphere,
the surreal installation is made of illuminated table-tops, where the projects are displayed and 4 drawers containing LCD
screens for detailed information.
ma yansong in the exhibition
tray on show at the (UN)forbidden city exhibition
image © designboom
top view
image © designboom
side view
image © designboom
(left) ma yansong contemplating prototype of tray
(right) compositional diagram
pg. 176-177 of '(UN)forbidden city' catalogue by officina alessi
image © designboom
(left) section
(right) plan
pg. 178-179 of '(un)forbidden city' catalogue by officina alessi
image © designboom
(left) snapshot of design session
(right) sketch of product
pg. 168-169 of '(UN)forbidden city' catalogue by officina alessi
image © designboom
(left) concept image
(right) detail
pg. 162-163 of '(UN)forbidden city' catalogue by officina alessi
image © designboom
prototypes
pg. 176-177 of '(UN)forbidden city' catalogue by officina alessi
image © designboom
officina alessi catalogue. stay tuned for more articles featuring the outcome of this design collaboration.
gary chang, ma yansong, chang yung ho, alberto alessi and members of the beijing design center
image © designboom
alberto alessi signing graphic wall
image © designboom
ma yansong signing his silhouette on graphic wall
image © designboom
liu jiakun participated in the 'contemporary chinese architecture from the outside in', a talk hosted by designboom at beijing design week 2011.
MAD architects + mass studies: the street
this exhibition features experiential installations within a series of small-scale facades placed in a row, similar to a neighborhood avenue.
iwan baan photos ordos museum by MAD
recently completed and now open to the public in ordos, china, this center has become a fixture within the community providing spaces for residents to congregate and lounge while maintaining their cultural traditions.
MAD architects: conrad hotel nearing completi
the warped exterior of this structure intends to break away from the monotonous rhythm created by the office buildings of beijing's central business district.
ab rogers: the life of ernesto bones
a modern interpretation of the surrealist game 'exquisite corpse', the installation is comprised of 24 pieces by 24 international designers ranging from chefs to architects to art critics, who collaboratively detail...
designboom conversation: liu jiakun
liu jiakun, principal architect of jiakun architects discusses how the historical legacy of chinese architecture can be applied to contemporary building practices, and the important relationship his structures have ...
alessi : (un)forbidden city
alessi joined forces with eight chinese architects, challenging them to rescale their thinking from large, livable structures to industrial design.
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