visiondivision: chop stick

visual rendering of the 'chop stick' concession stand by visiondivision for the indianapolis museum of art
image courtesy of visiondivision


commissioned by the indianapolis museum of art to erect a concession stand for their 100 acres: the viriginia b. fairbanks art & nature park,
swedish architecture firm visiondivision (anders berensson and ulf mejergren) conceived 'chop stick', a design based on the
universal notion of that you need to sacrifice something in order to make something new.

'every product is a compound of different pieces of nature, whether it is a cell phone, a car, a stone floor or a wood board;
they have all been harvested in one way or another. our project is about trying to harvest something as gently as possible so that the
source of what we harvest is displayed in a pure, pedagogic and respectful way—respectful to both the source itself and to everyone
visiting the building,' the architects say.



'chop stick' by visiondivision
image courtesy of visiondivision


the raw material selected for the structure is a 100-foot yellow poplar, the state tree of indiana which is regarded for its beauty,
respectable size and good properties as a hardwood. visiondivision found their ideal tree in anderson, indiana,
transforming it into a useful building.



conference before the removal of the selected poplar tree
photo by donna sink


the tree was transported to the park site, where it was suspended as a horizontal beam, the structure to be made almost entirely
out of the tree itself. the bark was removed from its surface, in order that it does not fall on bystanders, a process which naturally
occurs as the moisture content in the wood drops, causing the tree to shrink and the bark to lose its grip.
craftsmen loosened entire cylinders of bark from the trunk which were then flattened and cut into standard shingle length,
carefully stacked and placed under pressure to avoid curling. the stacks are then kiln dried to the proper moisture content,
sterilized and kept in climate controlled storage until ready for use. bark shingles are very durable, lasting up to 80 years,
and are maintenance free.

once debarked, pieces of wood are extracted from the suspended tree and used for various components of the concession stand;
structural support of the entire construction, as pillars and studs for the kiosk, swings under the tree for kids, benches and tables
to be placed under the tree's crown, from which special fixtures made out of branches will hang.



preparing the tree to be cut
photo by donna sink


on a smaller level, berensson and mejergren are exploring ways in which they can use other parts of the tree in the concession stand
including its root system, which is separated from the tree when it is cut down. for example, the roots have many edible features,
such as rot bark which could be used to make tea and tonics sold at the kiosk. pressed leaves and flowers taken from the tree will act as
ornaments on the front glass of the structure. there is also the possibility to extract honey from the poplar tree flowers.
branches less than five inches in diameter are cut away to prevent eventual rotting, and those remaining used for details such as
legs for chairs and tables, or ground down into sawdust for use as insulation.



once cut the trunk was pulled away from its roots raised by a large crane
photo by donna sink



arranging the tree horizontally
photo by donna sink



debarking the tree in strips
photo by donna sink



cutting excess wood to make tables for the kiosk
photo by donna sink



preparing the tree for transportation to the park site
photo by donna sink



preparing the tree for transportation to the park site
photo by donna sink

en route to the park site
photo by donna sink



the debarked tree on location
photo by donna sink



poplar tree flower in which honey could be extracted from for sale at the concession stand
photo by donna sink



diagram of the entire process of removing the tree and transforming it into a architectural structure
image courtesy of visiondivision


project info:

architect: visiondivision
location: indianapolis, indiana, USA
project team: anders berensson & ulf mejergren (architects); donna Sink (local architect); dave steiner (engineer); lisa freiman & sarah green (curators)
project year: 2011-2012
photographs: donna sink