In geometry, boundary is a line without thickness, while it may be the seam between walls in terms of construction. For this project approached by SODA Architects, breaking the physical boundary and making use of video images as the way of connecting different dimensions is the starting point for the spatial design.
In general, the boundary of space is defined by its location and site. The designers used digital materials to break the physical boundary, with a view to achieving the elegant fusion of the "screen wall" and "transparent wall".
The most direct medium connecting the indoor space and the outside world is the window. Therefore, the designers rearranged the window areas and extended the geometric texture of the rectangle to the closed solid walls on two sides of the space unit.
Four screens of different sizes are respectively embedded into three walls, which are set to play contents of distinctive themes, such as Paris Live, NASA’s 24-hour live broadcast, and live local TV channel in Beijing, so that people can feel and see diversified situations of different time zones.
The screens, displayers and light boxes on the three walls are arranged in a mixed way, which breaks the fixed feeling of traditional solid space boundary and forms an irregular “screen wall”. When people see the sunset in Beijing through real windows, Paris is still sunny in the virtual window inside the house. And when they wake up in the morning, the view of boundless dark universe sent back by NASA is just on the screen beside the bed.
In such a space, the concept of time is blurred. It is stretched and expanded through all the screens, enabling people to enjoy different visual impressions and have various emotional experiences.
Through the combination of interior design and technology, the designers hope to break the hard boundaries of traditional residential units. The walls are as transparent as if they could be penetrated, weakening their solidness and massiveness. As multimedia equipment, the screens are not bound by forms. They can display dynamic landscape images which are integrated with the outside scenery as a whole, and also function as digital windows to present video images of varying time zones and dimensions.
This project embodies the practice of "media space" that SODA Architects advocates — utilizing digital content to realize the perfection of functions and the optimization of experiences in the space, make it full of dynamic flexibility and interest, and thereby to create a warm, comfortable elegant living environment with the spirit of exploring the future.
