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Architects: Karim Rashid
- Area: 900 m²
- Year: 2013
- Photographs: Lee Gyeon Bae
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Manufacturers: Muma
From the architect.
Kapitol plays on the idea of the spacial, visual landmark as a gathering place. It creates a recognizable, iconic location in the space for people to gather, meet, socialize and eat in color! The organic “islands” not only infuse the space with character and contemporary aesthetic, they serve as a pivotal landmark around each column, where people meet and gather. The freeform ceiling opens the visual plane outwards and above and provide concealed local lighting and for eating.
The islands are centrifugal in arrangement, inviting users to interact, communicate and socialize in the space. This creates a lively dynamic setting which generates a sense of place for gathering and will ultimately make the space successful. The undulating perimeter of the area is perforated to create visual openings for service counters. Snack locations are “carved” into the surrounding perimeter creating with strong visual highlights for the eye inside. The floor plays off the linear patterns of the perimeter wall creating a strong wireframe that creates a sense of continuous dynamism and motion within the space.A strong dynamic presentation wall serves as a backdrop to the space creating a visual focal point while concealing vertical circulation from the communal space.
A soft and minimal organic cash counter will attract attention to the product on display and not the financial transaction behind. These dropped in “blobs” add character and color to the space. Not only are they strategically placed to capture and distribute intelligent circulation flow of the customer, but they also offer a recognizable landmark location within the space that makes purchasing and selecting easy for everyone.
As Gianfranco Zaccai once said, “Design has primarily focused on the visual and the tactile, but we are now.” The kinesthetic, the sensorium, the omniexperiential: the future will be made up of an orgy of experiences. The digital age has created a new hypersensitivity, a more exotic connection with our senses, and a kaleidoscope of stimuli, of information, of living, loving, and well-being. Design will always find new languages and mark our time on the planet and these ‘Techorganic’ works here speaks about this moment in which we live, and speaks about a new movement that will shape humanity.
I prefer a certain amorphous softness, soothing human forms, using new technologies, which I call technorganic objects. Don’t’ forget we take design too seriously sometimes. Design development is serious but the consumer should sense a playfulness to elevate their lives, to make them happier. Humor is the underlying most important part of our human condition – I think everything should be smart and beautiful and holistically designed – meaning it is experimental and ecological, but in everything I inject some human spirit of humor – because it lightens up this overtly-serous thing we call LIFE.
The true spirit of the Technorganic world is where organics meets technology and Orgonomics – where commerce, organics, and ergonomics all converge to shape an industrial world that is sensual, beautiful, poetic, voluminous, and so human. Flowing semantic beauty that touches and inspires my life.
Kapitol - Technorganic “K”apitolizes on these concepts and introduces strong wood grain patterns along the perimeter wall. Flooring patterns are two toned with subtle variation. Tables and seating are accented to highlight color in the space. Lime, Orange, Pink and Blue come together with Wood Grain to form the Technorganic Palette.
