LIFE CHAPTER
The much anticipated alternative to marriage
MA Graduation Design
2023 Royal College of Art Interior Design Prize Winner
Introduction
Marriage development history
Signal collection & Speculative timeline
The project is located at Charleston House, once belonging to the 20th Bloomsbury Group; a speculative spatial design discusses the future relationship form according to the present signal and combined with the site background history.
In 2043, the Charleston House become a place to celebrate your ‘Life Chapter’, and serve people who do not want to be bound by the shackles of conventional marriage. People can flexibly decide the length of combination. Divorce is not a negative word anymore.
The project uses curtains as Motif, using different sorts of fabric to present different relationship periods of intimacy.
This project is the MA Graduation Design and won the 2023 RCA Interior Design Prize of Superfuture platform
Research
Site Research: Dramatic relationship among the Bloomsbury Group
One of the members, Vanessa Bell, was in a very radical relationship at the time. She had several partners during her life. Among them was Duncan Grant, who accompanied her for a long time during the Charleston House during World War Two.
Prototype - spatial model & scenario
Final Spatial Design
There is a story, During this time, they shared a studio and there were times when DG was noisy, so V used curtains to divide the space. The division of space also represents the separation of intimacy.
When we talk about intimacy, we can easily associate it with weddings. At the same time, the fabric also plays an important role in Western weddings. Such as veil the main meaning of the veil is to be away from spirits that might prevent happiness until the partner lifts it, which also represents a kind of relationship form.
Use the curtain as Motif in the spatial design, and these periods will be present through different sorts of fabric, such as velvet and sheer, to visualise these stages. Because the fabric is a flexible and unfixed material, which is similar to relationships
Master Plan
2043 Speculative Vlog
The ramp camera will capture the highlights and post them on social networks. In this way your relationship will be certificated by the public for the social level. Cause we are all addicted to the internet and social media at that time
However, in Life Chapter, every ending is a new beginning. You can see a deciduous tree setting at the centre because the tree is the symbol of life, the leave will fall and rebirth, just like the relationship.
Section & Axonometric drawing
Just as a book always has an ending, the train has a destination. Sometimes we have to accept the end of a relationship. The ending path is set on the left side of the building.
Regarding the Life Chapter, the relationship is an infinite loop; You can return to finding your partner and return to the romantic period.
