All photos by Carren Jao.
Commissioned by Dwell on Design, “Screenplay,” designed by LA-based firm Oyler Wu, succeeds in getting one’s attention as soon as you get through the door. Not only does the 21-foot-long, 9-foot high screen occupy prime real estate at the front of the showroom, it mesmerizes with 45,000 linear feet of silver rope zipping here and there, twisting through a series of lightweight steel frames.
Viewing “Screenplay” from the side reveals cavities and a complex pattern of lines.
A photo opportunity not to be missed.
“The wall is designed with the intention of provoking a sense of curiosity by slowly revealing its form and complexity through physical and visual engagement with the work,” says the firm’s postcard pamphlet. Indeed, straight on, “Screenplay” looks to be a two-dimensional, traditional screen; as one moves around it, the piece reveals its three-dimensional qualities with cavities ranging from two to twelve feet.
Named one of these year’s eight new Emerging Voices by the Architecture League, Oyler Wu is known for its beautifully complex, experimental work. For “Screenplay” the firm used the leftover rope from their recent “Netscape” installation created last year’s for SCI-Arc’s graduation ceremonies. “We like to fully explore a material and seeing what it can offer before moving away from it,” says principal Jenny Wu.
Not only is it sculptural but functional as well. Oyler Wu cleverly incorporated seating into “Screenplay,” a tacit invitation to sit down, cool one’s heels and admire the hustle and bustle of the conference. The firm also created additional seating using the same process, which elegantly showed how a big statement piece such as “Screenplay” can be scaled down into sleek furniture that translates well into a forward-thinking home setting. Based on the number of people that sat down and stuck around, the seats were as comfortable as they were charismatic.
Many conference-goers sat and stayed.
The investigations from the “Screenplay” installation exercise also gave way to the smaller scale seating.
Post a Comment