designboom · Kunst en ontwerp

White Stainless-Steel Cylinders Form Coral-Like Swing Installation on Chinese Coast

An installation titled 'Coral' in Yantai, China, uses twelve oversized white stainless-steel cylinders to create a coral-inspired swing structure on the coast. Designed by XBTW Office, the installation transforms the coastline into an immersive experience, allowing visitors to interact with the natural environment.

The installation is situated at the northwest corner of West Park on the Longfor Puti peninsula, facing the sea and tidal flats. Its design mimics the repetitive and aggregated forms of coral colonies, using twelve white stainless-steel cylinders arranged in two groups. A horizontal roof plane connects the composition, with two swings suspended beneath it. The cylinders are positioned at varying heights and orientations, creating overlapping spaces for visitors to move through and pause within.

From a distance, the white cylinders appear as an unusual presence resembling marine organisms against the open coastline. As visitors approach, the spaces between them frame views of the tidal flats, sea, and sky, creating dynamic visual compositions. Inside the structure, the scale of the cylinders makes the familiar coastline feel altered, akin to entering an underwater world. Visitors can swing towards the sunset, experiencing the sea breeze and tides.

The cylinders feature perforated patterns inspired by deep-sea fish schools, with 2,000 to 4,000 perforations of varying sizes (4-25mm diameter) on each. These openings create a gradient texture, evoking the movement of fish. Larger perforations are shaped like marine creatures such as starfish, octopuses, and seashells. After sunset, light passing through the perforations transforms the installation into a glowing structure, resembling slowly breathing marine organisms.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.