Bump and Mind. U:phoria architecture+design pays tribute to Comme des Garcons’ 1997 idiosyncratic collection

Our studio embarked on an exploratory journey to study the parallel practices in fashion and architecture, with inspiration drawn from Comme des Garcons’ Spring/Summer 1997 “Bump & Mind” Collection.

This quirky and surrealistic collection featured models wearing gowns attached with bumps that seemingly challenges the conventions of garment cladded forms. In this collection, “Comme des Garcons (CDG) does not attempt to show what is supposed to be the ‘natural’, but instead, to enable the wearer to approximate the ‘actual’.

In these dresses, individuals feel that they are weird but perceive that the clothing does not represent the ‘natural’ and, by extension, themselves” – Artforum International, Dec 1996.

Though conceived 12 years ago, this collection with engorged garments is still being perceived as futuristic. In architectural sense, the relevance is even more so with the current liberation & proliferation of technologies that allow building forms to go beyond the convention of post and beam with amorphous forms.

As a tribute to this ground breaking creation of CDG, a series of forms or objects are explored and devised to specifically co-relate the ephemeral qualities of that collection with the permanence of structured forms. These forms are contorted and misshaped with protruded skin elements to emulate the unusual garments conceived for the collection. Enveloping frames free the interior of column structures and thus allowing for a greater fluidity of space within.

Whether as building elements or sculptures, this study attempts to draw closer the disciplines of architecture and fashion, and just as important, to provide a befitting context and background for the co-existence of CDG’s garments.

Pavilion Place @ Orchard

A competition project I did near the end of 2007.

Design Concept is based on 3 principles of Contrast :

(1) Material Contrast
- Steel is commonly perceived as a hard, rigid and robust construction material.
- In this design proposal, and in contrast to that thought, I attempt to portray steel as a light and elegant material with an almost ephemeral quality.
- To do so, the pavilion mimics the nature of a fabric with its soft flowing quality.
- This is achieved by having the individual steel bar placed at different angle on each end of the pavilion. With all the steel members in placed, we will get a parabolic surface.
- The entire pavilion is then anchored on 2 points of each end, with the wall extending to become the roof.
- The end result is that of a light, elegant steel structure that seems to be floating above the ground.
- It defies gravity.

(2) Urban Morphology Contrast
- The 2nd contrast is that of contrasting with the dense Orchard Road urban morphology.
- Being in the heart of this street, the pavilion is fluid response to concrete jungle that towers above it.
- It respects, but not necessarily responds to the contextual element that surrounds it.

(3) Location Contrast
- By nature of its location, it is already a contrast.
- It is being sited right smack in the heart of Orchard Rd, just across the youth centred Hereen Bldg, and yet offers one of the most contemplative corner of this busy street.
- It is also devoid of any form sensory bombardment as one experienced throughout the entire street of Orchard Rd with the myriad of advertisements and media .
- It is a place for contemplative resting and to be away from the sensory bombardment.
- The pavilion and the tea-garden provides an almost zen-like spatial escape from the busy nature of its surrounding.