A Paradoxical Interior Design: Lexpera
An interior design that questions the activity of ‘reading a book’ and the functioning of publishing houses in the digital age.
Are the books put in the cold storage?
Together with the changes taking place in the digital age, the usages and requirements in all areas are changing, and accordingly, the objects, spaces, and activities surrounding our environment have been redefined.
One of the major reflections of this interaction is being experienced through the “book” as an object and “reading” as an activity. Being totally different from the romantic tradition, the book which was being taken from the shelves of the library, being smelled, and touched, has turned into another object which is downloaded in digital ground, where its pages are turned and read virtually. Besides, not only the activity of reading but the acts of writing and publishing have also been transformed by the digital technologies. Now, the texts are being presented not in linear but correlating the information it has with the knowledge and experience of the reader in a dynamic way through the media in virtual ground. The publishing houses are aiming to create publications enabling rediscovery of books and reading activity.
BOOKS:
Lexpera is an institution producing a new generation information system that will change its traditional working related with the area it specializes and which envisions digitalisation. This situation requires space to be redefined in a way to support redefined activities and usages and accordingly, a need for a new program that is uncommon and which should be designed, comes out. A paradox appears within the interior space depending on the composed new program. With regard to the requirements that new generation information system and digital usage bring, a revolutionary transformation which is completely different from the old has taken place; “all the books have been removed to the storage”. Paradoxical situation arises from the fact that the books are still at the heart of the space and they are defined as the most important objects inside the space. Now, the users coming into the interior space will no longer be able to take the books from the shelves and leaf through the pages but this activity will take place in a different way. And still, everyone will feel the books at the heart of the interior space.
THE BOX:
Box that is placed in the middle of interior space lies in a linear way, forming the spine (interface) of the new digital equipments. The users can reach the books and other digital information from the tablets located on the box and they can view the detailed introductions with the help of projections hanging on its structure. Existance of the box enables the representation and control of digital usage within the space. All other things inside are recessive and secondary.
PROGRAM:
New program workouts for the design of interior space have been conducted with a triple participation model. This model was shaped in line with the discussions and researches carried out between the designer-brand advisor-and the publishing house. As a result, a data pool with all the components was formed and the design of the interior space and its conceptual ground was developed accordingly.
Location: İstanbul
Design Office: 1+1 Architectural Studio
Project Type: Publishing House
Architect: Ervin Garip
Employer: Lexpera
Assistant: F. Deniz Kozluca
Photography: Retorikfilm
Project Year: 2015
Construction Year: 2015
Area: 80m2