Curtain Wall, 2019
Los Angeles, CA
Curtain Wall was a proposal for a courtyard space in Los Angeles. Curtain Wall invites visitors to inhabit a drawing in the form of materialized thick three-dimensional lines. This inhabitation shifts the act of architectural drawing beyond the single-author representation towards collective immersive and spatial experiences. The proposal mines several ways in which architects work on the disciplinary problem of the line: two to three-dimensional projection, line weight and type to communicate hierarchy, and accumulation to produce mass and volume. Curtain Wall engages visitors in three primary ways.
Line as Threshold.
First, Curtain Wall accumulates thick lines to the point they produce a physical wall (curtain wall) with visual porosity at specific moments. The lines extend the typically instantaneous experience of passing through a thin threshold by offering glimpses into another space or to imply directional movement towards events happening deeper within the courtyard space.
Line as Line.
Second, lines of varying diameters, positioned relative to each other, and differences in corrugation and perforation offer nuance and variability akin to line weight and line type found in drawing. These qualities rethink the architectural conventions of drawing as line weights shift mid stroke through diameter variability.
Line as Mat.
Third, Curtain Wall uses the densification of line to offer enclosure and seating. Perturbances such as a rotating mirror and an extruded volume allow light in and views out through the dense curtain as well as provide surfaces for public programming and event materials. Literal mats are slung casually over the seating elements offering a soft and foamy place to sit during public events and performances.
Designers: Kelly Bair, Kristy Balliet
Production Team: Malvin Bunata
