Architecture News

Choi+Shine Architects redefines the boundaries of textile art by transforming the intimate craft of crochet into large-scale public installations. Their innovative approach integrates traditional handcraft with contemporary architectural design, creating immersive experiences that engage with landscapes and urban environments. These works are not merely decorative but serve as interactive spaces that filter light, cast intricate shadows, and gather communities under their handcrafted forms. The studio's philosophy centers on the idea that infrastructure can embody a human presence, making repetitive and often overlooked elements of our surroundings meaningful and inspiring.

The creative process at Choi+Shine Architects is a blend of meticulous planning and collaborative effort. From initial drawings and digital models to structural tests and pattern-making, each project is developed with precision. Crucially, the involvement of community workshops allows volunteers to contribute to the creation of these monumental pieces, embedding a collective memory and shared labor into the very fabric of the art. This participatory model enhances the impact of their installations, turning a simple stitch into a component of a suspended room or transforming a standard pylon into an anthropomorphic figure, ultimately breathing social life into an ordinary technique.

Transforming Infrastructure into Art: The Vision of Choi+Shine

Choi+Shine Architects embark on a journey to infuse human presence into large-scale infrastructure by reinterpreting everyday elements through the lens of art. Their early conceptual project, 'The Land of Giants,' exemplifies this vision by transforming mundane electrical transmission towers into a series of human-like figures. This imaginative re-styling of an industrial system demonstrated how subtle alterations could profoundly change perception, turning power lines into a dramatic procession of colossal bodies across the landscape. This foundational concept laid the groundwork for their subsequent large-scale crochet installations, which similarly seek to imbue overlooked public structures with a sense of wonder and narrative, proving that utility and artistry can coexist harmoniously.

The studio's persistent exploration of how infrastructural elements can hold a sense of place is a recurring theme. By applying this same innovative instinct to their textile works, Choi+Shine elevates crochet from a modest craft to a significant public structure. Projects such as 'The Urchins' and 'The Lace' transcend object scale, becoming functional canopies, screens, and enclosures that shape space while maintaining a porous, inviting nature. These installations manipulate light and shadow, inviting interaction and contemplation, and underscore the studio's belief that even the most ordinary techniques can evolve into public art with a vibrant social dimension. This seamless integration of art and utility highlights the potential for imaginative design to transform our built environment into a more engaging and human-centered experience.

The Communal Fabric: Craft, Technology, and Collaboration

The creation of Choi+Shine's elaborate crochet installations is deeply rooted in community engagement, transforming artistic production into a collective endeavor. The studio orchestrates workshops where local volunteers gather to produce the numerous panels and sections that ultimately comprise the large-scale works. These gatherings are meticulously documented, showcasing tables laden with cord, hands diligently following intricate diagrams, and groups collaboratively assembling pieces. This inclusive process fosters a sense of shared ownership and learning, as novices gain skills from seasoned crocheters, and the repetition of stitches and small corrections collectively culminate in a unified artwork. The embedded labor and communal spirit enrich the final piece, allowing it to enter public spaces not just as an architectural marvel but as a testament to collective human effort and memory.

Choi+Shine Architects masterfully bridges ancestral crafting techniques with contemporary algorithmic thinking, where crochet patterns function as a form of code. This unique fusion is evident in their project 'Distance' for the Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art, which integrated local waterways, Chinese zodiac motifs, and traditional lace-making into monumental crocheted forms. While digital tools such as CAD drawings and 3D models are utilized to define geometric precision, the tactile nature of crochet brings the work to life, imbuing it with texture, human scale, and a sense of time. The collaboration with numerous volunteers, who refined patterns and techniques across varying skill levels, weaves a rich cultural fabric into the installation. This harmonious interplay between handcraft and computational design ensures that while the structure is precise, it retains the warmth and character of human touch, making each installation a memorable public experience that resonates with both intellectual depth and communal warmth.

Emerging in Beijing's vibrant Sanlitun area, the new Hermès flagship store commands attention with its distinctive rose-pink and terracotta exterior. This five-story structure, a visionary design by RDAI in partnership with Mamou-Mani for the facade, masterfully integrates advanced computational design with traditional ceramic craftsmanship. The result is a permeable ceramic layer that wraps around the building's glass volume, allowing natural light to permeate while creating a sophisticated visual texture. From a distance, the facade appears as a unified, warm mass, but upon closer inspection, it reveals a meticulously patterned mesh of repeated elements, demonstrating a dynamic interplay of form and material.

The facade's intricate design relies on a system of modular ceramic components, rhythmically arranged to create an undulating surface. Mamou-Mani's team engineered this layer with removable panels, ensuring both aesthetic appeal and practical maintenance. The creation of curved elements involved 3D-printed positives that served as molds, highlighting a modern approach to digital fabrication within a material language traditionally associated with handcrafted techniques. This parametric design allows the ceramic skin to feature shifting patterns, with tiles strategically pushed, pulled, and spaced to introduce varying degrees of transparency. Details like diamond and rhombic ceramic nosing add depth and texture, preventing the surface from appearing flat against the glass and imbuing the building with a sense of substantiality, shadow, and a charming, subtle irregularity.

RDAI's architectural vision for the flagship skillfully references Beijing's rich architectural heritage without resorting to literal imitation. The gently curving glazed rooflines echo the grandeur of the Forbidden City through their carefully chosen colors, profiles, and material finishes, yet the building maintains a distinctly contemporary character. The rose-pink and terracotta hues delicately allude to the traditional ceramic roofs and sun-baked masonry of historical Chinese structures, capturing their essence rather than directly duplicating their forms. This thoughtful approach ensures the roof's edge seamlessly integrates into the overall architectural language, providing a fluid silhouette that harmonizes the glass volume with the ceramic veil below. The combined effect is a cohesive system where the facade, roofline, and filtered interior light work in unison, elevating the building beyond mere decoration.

This project beautifully illustrates how digital tools can be leveraged to create a profoundly tactile experience. The facade, a product of parametric modeling and 3D printing, transcends its digital origins through the tangible qualities of ceramic—its weight, glaze, the play of light and shadow, and its repetitive yet subtly varied forms. The inherent depth and soft quality of the material prevent the coldness often associated with computationally designed facades. For Mamou-Mani, this endeavor represents a significant expansion of their fabrication-centric practice into a highly refined architectural setting. For Hermès, it transforms their flagship into an iconic building with a strong public identity. In Sanlitun, this ceramic enclosure becomes a central idea, a layered skin that not only filters the glass interior but also resonates with Beijing's architectural legacy, lending the store a warmer and more engaging presence.