Threshold

The Chinese notion of ‘jian’ can be translated to mean "gap" or "interval," but it is also the unit word for a “room.” So in an architectural sense, this term can be understood as a threshold condition - the physical mediation between two contrasting spatial environments, such as interiority and exteriority, or public and private—but it also implies that the threshold is not a passive mechanism, having the potential to actively alter spatial configurations and relationships. As such, a spatial threshold can have vast implications on scale, accessibility, and the sense of intimacy. For the design of the “Threshold” screen series, Neri&Hu proposes a free-standing partition that plays with structure, materiality, and dimensionality. Infilled with various materials such as mirror, rattan and corrugated glass, the screen performs very well as a privacy layer, but its functionality goes well beyond that. The bold lines that form the frame can appear rather rudimentary when viewed as an elevation, but in fact begin to extrude forward as volumes to give added purpose in the form of a drawer or a desk. The three dimensionality here is not only what gives the piece its utility but is also essential to its structural integrity.