Distortion Rooms
Project Type: Installation
Date: 2017 Fall
Partner: Bryant Lui (RISD '19)
Professor: Jongwan Kwon
Objective: study an existing precedent carefully, and design a wearable device for two people to experience the interior atmosphere of the precedent.
Approach: The case study on Prada Aoyama designed by Herzog & De Meuron inspired us to create a device that distorts people's views of the exterior environment.
Result: A wearable device for two people to experience the city view under varied amount of distortion.
Case Study
Designed by Herzog & De Meuron, this building encourages bypassers to pause and observe, as its bulged glazing of the structure frames creates a distorted view from the interior and the exterior. This inspired us to create our wearable device “distortion rooms”.
Experimentation
Fabrication
The process involved multiple fabrication methods, including but not limited to: laser cutting, 3D printing, woodworking, vacuum forming...
Experience
The final product is worn by two people, with their heads inserted into the two cut-outs on the foamcore. With one person sitting and the other standing, this device offers intimate interaction between the two while providing a different experience for each of them. The device also has an acoustic quality in which a voice becomes an echo inside as it is enclosed all the way around except for the two cut-outs.
The view from the inside to the outside is a distorted view of the cityscape. The bulged PTEG panels distort the view, while the faceted and sanded panels blur the view. The image to the right is an example of what you would see from the inside.
