CIRCLED CERULEAN SQUARE

CROSSING BORDERS

Open call for the design of the Great Britain’s Guest of Honour stand at Bookfest 2019 Bucarest

Participation - "Circled Cerulean Square"

 
With the risk of losing the spectacular aspect of the architectural form, which we do not rely on in this particular case, we aim to conceive the stand by modeling the space through minimal interventions. Our goal is to create a space intended to serve various purposes, including social dialogue, and also to address individual needs, such as spiritual ones. At first glance, this seems like an impossible mission, akin to the ancient geometers' problem of squaring the circle. However, this kind of construction proved to be impossible. As a metaphor, the bidirectional equivalence between a circle and a square can be conceivable in an aesthetic way of thinking. Just as books open spheres with wide horizons, the limited space of Great Britain's stand can expand beyond its rectangularity. Therefore, in our project, the elements that mark off the limits of the stand's space are transparent. Moreover, these elements are meant to invite anyone through their functional aspects, such as bookshelves and exhibition walls.

 We believe that, in this way, the severe borders between the interior and exterior space would dissolve in the consciousness of the visitor. Thus, we, the proponents of this project, aim to model the rectangular aspects of the stand, and the circularity is to be accomplished by the visitors and participants in events at the Great Britain Bookfest stand. Our project focuses not on volumetrically designed space but on the very lived space, conducting a sensorial experience of the space. Our objective relies heavily on the chromatic element, formal-functional minimalism, generosity, and spatial opening, functional circularity, and participative offering object represents the heart of the stand, but rather the emptiness waiting to be filled with people about to cross the threshold of the stand.

 The circular space of the square evolves on two main axes: Axis 1 - the scene, the audience, and the exhibition panel; Axis 2 - the playground table. The cerulean of bookshelves and the wooden grids marking the internal space of the stand symbolizes the celestial background populated with books and artworks, as well as projections of people participating in Bookfest. Overhead, transparent textiles in shades of blue will float. On the floor, we chose a continuous carpet to complete the sensorial experience (tactile, visual, and phonetic). Colored wood is the predominant material to achieve hospitality in the space.