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.Softbodies
Author:Tobias Klein, Dietmar Koering, Kenny Kinugasa Tsui, Martin Tubiana

The proposal also reinvents the 21st century identity of the historical bench; as a symbolic furniture for the city-dwellers’ resting space which is eventful, full of unexpected romance, narratives, social interaction, memories and bodily sensation for a moment in transitional time.

Softbodies is a concept that attempts to work in-between surface bodies zones, structure fragmentation and the different characterization of each component. We are deliberately trying to dissolve the definition between structure, surface and the rigid definition of void-mass, hence the idea of juxtaposed volumes that would allow the possibilities for multiple interaction, hence redefining the user(s) and product relationship.

The bodies in architecture, or rather, ‘architecture bodies’ become more fluid, flexible, mandible and heterogeneous in their program. Furniture has to react in deforming, dissolving liquid formless but informed in the sense of an a-morphic quality through the principles of the metamorphosis of a body in movement, the liquefaction of any communicative axiom and distinction

In architectural terms our design is a hybrid between the existing structures of modernism environments and new textures of a reformed baroque. We are trying amongst other things to work in between the white wall ( surface driven architecture) and the eccentric beauty of convoluted baroque.

The propose form is adaptive to various contexts & environments. The dynamic form of the bench allows multiple user configurations and possibilities for different activities; hence it can be installed in interior (Office /airport/hotel reception lounge, etc) or semi public spaces (art gallery / library, etc)