Saturday, October 13, 2007

Grate Space

While visiting the Netherlands we happened upon multiple instances of see through floors. One in particular was at the Kunsthalle in Rotterdam. Here they had an exhibit space with steel grate stairs on either end and a steel grate floor spanning over creating additional exhibit space. While I still get the heeby jeebies walking upstairs and seeing three floors down simultaneously, I love how the materiality of the floor completely changes the way the space is perceived. In terms of functionality, the metal grate allows for additional space while maintaining the feeling of one room. I was so enthralled with walking and looking down at classmates at the same time that I couldn't tell you what the upstairs exhibit contained. This might not be good news in terms of display (or I'm just easily amused). Nonetheless, I love how a simple material installation defines a space and makes something as ordinary and mundane as walking exciting!

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