In order to advance the artistic vibe of the Kunming Office Building, the designers have transformed the original space into an interactive zone by adding several unique art installations to provoke people’s thoughts, sensations and feelings. Kunming is located in the Yunnan province in China. One of the most famous natural sights in Yunnan is the ‘Stone Forest’, which is a notable set of limestone formations. The tall rocks seem to arise from the ground in a manner somewhat reminiscent of stalagmites, or with many looking like petrified trees, thereby creating the illusion of a forest made of stone. Some of the sites have even been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
‘Stone Forest’ has inspired the designers for this series of art installations - Stone Forest Pavilion, Interactive Sculptural Art Installation at the first floor lobby, Mountain Range Art Installation at the office building lobby entrance and Zig-zag Art Installation at the drop-off area. You may see the concept of Yunnan Stone Forest connected throughout the entire area.
The Stone Forest Pavilion is constructed by many rectangular orange frames. The designers first came up with a rectangular box as a single unit, then used this fixed unit as the basic element to build up various forms and structures. The pavilion was built in the green area of the square. Throughout history, the pavilion as an architecture also serves as an interactive space for people’s gathering and leisure. The designers hope that it can be a small yet intimate social space for people to rest or hold a small live performance. The rectangular frames were staggered in various heights, deliberately imitating the natural forms of Yunnan Stone Forest. The combinations of different degrees of arcs and staggered heights create a strong visual impact. People can roam freely through the pavilion and make new discoveries inside this ‘Stone Forest’.
Handmade tie-dye cloth from Dali, Yuanna, are hung on the crossbars at both ends of the pavilion. Tie-dyeing originated from the central plains area in ancient China over 1,000 years ago. The process of dyeing tapestries and clothing is done using only natural dyes and fabrics and almost entirely by hand. The designers would like to remind people about this traditional craftsmanship as this heritage is increasingly lost amid massive development projects and urbanization. This is now an endangered tradition, and these beautiful hand-dyed garments are becoming increasingly rare. The designers wish that it can jog people’s memory of the value of preserving this centuries-old tradition, and although at risk it is hoped that the problems will be solved so this tradition continues to be passed on, and to develop.
The Mountain Range Art Installation at the office building lobby entrance was also inspired by the Stone Forest concept. Decorative green rectangular planes are arranged in various angles. These V-shaped polylines remind people of the outline of the mountain range. This eye-catching installation also serves as a signaling agent. Guests could immediately spot the entrance of the office building from afar, which distinguishes itself from the other residential buildings.
The original design of the first floor lobby was relatively conventional. It required the designers to make significant artistic improvements on the basis of the completed lobby. With a limited budget, the designers spent a lot of time to think of a various form of the design which would still connect with the ‘Stone Forest’ theme. In the end, they came up with an idea to illustrate the Stone Forest in a rather abstract way.
The designers re-created the outline of the Stone Forest in the space. A large perforated board was erected in the lobby, and a ‘v-shaped’ board extending from the ceiling was used to pass through the vertical board - together, they form an independent group. These groups in different colours are spread throughout the space and create in interactive sculptural art installation.
The designers considered that the lobby, as the entrance of the office building, will also have reception and waiting functions, yet some clients may still prefer a certain degree of privacy. Therefore, they chose perforated metal plates to enable permeability - as Yunnan Stone Forest has irregular stone caves, they opened holes in different sizes on the metal plate to resemble this characteristic. An extra touch would be the interesting shadows being cast on the ground and the wall when daylight shines through the holes.