Meeting Stations

deb and i undertook a second design/art project in the new university building at the same time as Access All Levels. this was a set of Meeting Stations. 

this is what the Flinders university wrote about this project:

During their discussions with the architects the artists raised the notion of applying a similar version of their "Access All Levels" concept to the ‘meeting stations’ on levels 1-5. This would see large sections of angled mirror incorporated on each of the meeting units further inviting building occupants to engage with and explore the space as they travel through it. The result compliments the larger work of art extending interactions with the building itself.

this project happened very organically. we were visiting the architect and started talking about these meeting stations that were being designed to be placed on each floor of the university. 

 

the architects had a tall unit and a long seat unit designed. we liked them but had the idea that some unusual angles could be introduced and some of these angled panels could be mirrored, to again allow people in the building to see new views of the space.

 

so we mocked up a few ideas in some simple and rough timber forms

 

we gave these to the architect and he really liked them

 

from our simple forms he made these fancy computer drawings.

 

timber number side

 

angled mirror side view

 

top view

side view

we were consulted a couple of times, to discuss angles, and the issue of fabrication and just to generally talk about the idea. and then the architects coordinated the fabrication and install. this is not how we are used to working on projects, but in this scenario it seemed to work really well and the final objects are really beautiful. 

 

these are some photos we had taken by a professional photographer.

 

the mirror and timber units work really well together

 

the angular mirror panels allowing you to see many different parts of the building together in one view.

as you can see the entire building itself is beautiful, even the furnishing they have selected are very nice and the mirrored meeting stations sit well in this environment.

it has been unusual being so far removed from the actual making and manufacturing of the units, but i guess that is because we both have a history in craft and making with our hands

but this is more how designers usually work, and often how some aspects of public art are made.

 

the final results are working though, and we are very happy to have been a part of these 2 large art/design projects.