warren techentin la cage aux folles designboom
warren techentin architecture forms ‘la cage aux folles’ in LA courtyard
photo by nick cope
all images courtesy of warren techentin architecture

 

 

 

designed by warren techentin architecture, ‘la cage aux folles’ is a temporary structure occupying a street front courtyard located in los angeles, california. the project is enabled by materials & applications, an outdoor exhibition space which hosts rotating installations constructed twice yearly. the work is composed of bent steel pipe members, which are arrayed in a circular order to create a deformed cage. visitors are able to circulate into and around the radial plan, and must pay attention to their feet while stepping from piece to piece.

warren techentin la cage aux folles designboom

photo by nick cope

 

 

 

appropriately representative of a cage, the lines of the composition relate to one another to imply undulating surfaces. utilizing parametric computational processes, each curving metal member incrementally deviates to create smoothly bulging and pinching forms.

warren techentin la cage aux folles designboom

(left): children are able to occupy areas of the structure which adults cannot
(right): traversing the folly requires careful attention to foot placement
photos by nick cope

warren techentin la cage aux folles designboom

each view contains a layered composition of white curving contours
(left) photo by nick cope
(right) photo by farnoosh rafaie

 

 

 

‘la cage aux folles’ will serve as the venue for a series of three performances throughout the month of may 2014. artists will activate the structure through choreographic, musical, & technological interventions, inviting visitors to explore and engage with the installation.

warren techentin la cage aux folles designboom

schedule-40 steel pipe members are arrayed in a circular order to create a deformed cage
photos by nick cope

WTARCH la cage aux folles designboom

photo by stephen linsley

WTARCH la cage aux folles designboom

visitors monkey-bar climb through the cage structure
stephen linsley

WTARCH la cage aux folles designboom

the structure takes shape during fabrication
photo by glen kinoshita

 

drawings

 

warren techentin la cage aux folles designboom

(left): form development wireframes
(right): final scheme in axonometric view

warren techentin la cage aux folles designboom

(left): plan diagrams depict a language of bent components
(right): profiles are combined to create continuous radii members

 

‘la cage aux folles’ timelapse video
courtesy of WTARCH

 

 

 

project info:

 

architect: warren techentin architecture
location: los angeles, california, u.s.a.
gallery: materials & applications
construction: wtarch, ramirez ironworks, materials & applications