The "Evolving" Art Chair: A New Link for Old Neighborhoods
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Nine fiberglass art chairs, with "Fun for all" as their core concept, have evolved from the wooden prototypes of the Shenzhen Bi-City Biennale. Rooted in the neighborhood with weather-resistant and inclusive features, they have become a new carrier connecting historical context and modern life, winning popularity among people of all ages.
1. The "Evolutionary" Logic of Design
Although the original wooden chairs were cleverly designed, they lacked durability outdoors. The upgraded fiberglass version uses pressure-resistant materials and scratch-resistant paint, adapting to high-frequency usage scenarios and maintaining a bright appearance even after wind and sun exposure. Each chair is filled with concrete inside, with a single module weighing 15-20 kilograms to eliminate the risk of tipping over. Meanwhile, it adopts a "Lego-style splicing + fastener locking" structure, allowing disassembly and reassembly by hand. The layout can be flexibly adjusted, turning static furniture into a "growable public space".The expansion from 3 to 9 chairs is a customized consideration based on the neighborhood's usage needs. Scattered in the corners of the streets, the chairs feature a 360-degree open and accessible design, meeting people's temporary resting needs. Sunlight filtering through the gaps of the "bubble caves" adds fun to the stay.
2. Design Expression Rooted in History
The design rejects "detached art" and actively integrates into the neighborhood's cultural genes. In terms of color, inspiration is drawn from the red doors and pillars in the neighborhood, deriving a gradient color system including dark red and light red. This creates a visual contrast with the gray-brick walls while echoing the aesthetic memory of "red walls and gray tiles" in old Beijing.
In terms of form, round "bubble caves" are created by "subtracting from a spherical space": adults sitting on the 45cm-high chair surface can feel the embracing support; children can shuttle through the caves as a "secret base"; stray cats can also hide inside to shelter from the rain. This inclusiveness towards diverse users continues the "coexistence" design concept.
3. The Social Value of Public Art
Beyond the definition of "seating furniture", the chair has become a public art medium, filling the gap between "appreciation" and "utilization". Without complex artistic symbols, the design adopts a straightforward form and inclusive nature, allowing everyone to participate easily and practicing the concept of "neighborhood revitalization". It enables the elderly to chat in the sun, children to play, and tourists to take photos, activating the neighborhood's vitality through daily interactions and continuing the design adherence to "locality".
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Work Information
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Currator: Blackbow
Design: Atelier Alter Architects
Dimensions: 3750×2150×1350 mm
Weight: 15KG×9
Material: Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP)
Production: Guangzhou Grid Art Engineering Co., Ltd.
Patent: ZL 2022 3 0687440.4
Photography: Atelier Alter Architects, Zhu Yumeng
