Before putting my head into figuring out what architecture/interior designs are, and the relationship and balance between outdoor and indoor (nature vs man-made landscape), I began this journey of exploring the work of this artist, Ned Kahn.
Ned Kahn is an environmental artist and sculptor. His works usually intend to capture an invisible aspect of nature and make it visible. Some examples of Kahn’s work to capture the invisible include building facades that move in waves in response to wind; indoor tornadoes and vortices made of fog, steam, or fire.
I read one of Ned Kahn’s interviews, he said something that roughly says “I am not an artist and not the artist of my work, the nature enviroment is.”
Before discovering Ned Kahn’s art work, I could never imagined experiencing nature without trees and greenery. It is more touching and sensational by merely looking at greens. His work magnifies the nature environment by using aluminum. He simply achieved it by using construction materials that has no relevance to the environment and whatsoever.
Inserting trees in tall buildings looks nice at first glance. In fact, I hate it that I think the designers could do better than imprison the trees in concrete buildings. The purpose of the design was to immerse the users in nature, however I felt exactly opposite. Trees in concrete building was a reminder to me that I live in a city that short of land and landscape, hence people had no choice but plant trees in the building, why can we just enjoy a proper nature landscape? Trees do not belong there. The surrounding skyscrapers in this CBD area brings out this feeling even strong. Not to mention this design requires high maintenance and it cost users millions to use this space.
Ned Kahn’s work inspires me to design in a way that adds a finishing touch to existing beauty of world, instead gild the lily. Think deeper when solving a designer problem and try different angle, rather than too directly and literally design a space to meet client’s requirement.