The Setting

A “Theatrical Stage,” marks the first edition of the “M.E.L.T. Project” developed by the Tung Ho Steel Foundation. M.E.L.T., which stands for Metal Engineering Leading to Tectonics, is a biennial project that invites young designers to explore the tectonic possibilities of steel. JJP’s creation combines the efforts of architecture, engineering, and construction to stimulate innovative forms that challenge the laws of physics and push the limits of steel structures.

The Cast

Steel: welded beams (BH), tubes, rods, recycled steel; reflective plexiglass

The Story

The concept draws inspiration from traditional Taiwanese temple celebrations, where the stage performances connect people, places, and deities, fostering both spiritual and material exchanges.

The Stage

A series of five steel right parallelogrammical prisms extend into open space like a ladder, balancing gravitational and lateral forces through its own structural mechanics. The interaction of the forces is magnified by mirrored elements within the frames, which reflect people and the environment while expressing their movements.

In contrast to the stereotypical image of a static stage, the unpredictability of the interactions constitutes a spectacular ever-changing artistic performance, where the audience and the environment are the actors. Steel serves as the protagonist and forces provide the narrative.

From a distance, the “theatrical stage” resembles a celestial ladder- a product of countless iterations to achieve a seemingly impossible 18-meter cantilever with minimal components and joints. In addition to the steel structure, a vertical installation comprising of variously shaped discarded I-beams visually and structurally counterbalances the stage above while calling attention to the possibilities of recycling, reuse and repurpose through thoughtful design.