British architect and designer Asif Khan and car manufacturer MINI have unveiled Forests at the London Design Festival. The art object was the result of a study of the interpenetration of the personal and the public in the urban environment, as well as an analysis of the phenomenon of "third place" - this is how the authors of the project call the space that occupies an intermediate position between work and home. The three-part installation was staged in Shoreditch, the most fashionable and creative area of the British capital. Three translucent boxes are within walking distance of each other: Relax is used for relaxation, Connect is used for meeting friends, and within the walls of Create is invited to work. All three structures are outwardly similar to each other: a rectangular shape, the walls are made of several layers of transparent corrugated polycarbonate, through which the silhouettes of plants are guessed. Inside each room, solitude reigns, only the shadows of cars and people on the walls and the "white noise" of city life remind of the outside world.
The difference between the three structures from each other lies in their dimensions and furnishings. For example, in the center of the box called Connect, there is a large table at which you can gather with friends or use it as a dining room. The Create space will help you focus on the work process; flexible arrangement of furniture suggests different ways of using the work space. Relax is a room with a bench where you can disconnect from the hectic pace of everyday life and completely relax.
According to the authors of Lesov, megacities owe the emergence of the phenomenon of “third places”, on the one hand, to a shortage of affordable housing: in a world capital like New York or London, only a few can afford to rent a house or apartment with sufficient space to meet their daily needs. On the other hand, multifunctional sites appeared as working circumstances changed, mobility and self-employment of the population developed. The authors name catering points as examples of such sites: freelancers often use a cafe for work, and a restaurant for business negotiations. As a result, the primary function of these public institutions is leveled and replaced by the described secondary role. In addition, Asif Khan notes, even public places are not open to everyone and not every place in the city can be turned into a personal office. After examining the needs of Londoners, the British team put forward an alternative option for "third places" - a "space between spaces" available to every city dweller, which people can use in accordance with their "borderline" needs.
Asif Khan admits that he borrowed the idea of a "plant environment" from Japanese culture. “The inspiration for the work was the phenomenon of 'shinrin youku', which literally means'
forest bathing "(the practice of forest walks; it is believed that during such walks, physical and mental illnesses are cured due to physical activity, inhalation of the smell of vegetation and contemplation of natural landscapes - comment of Archi.ru), explains Asif Khan. - Each of the five senses tunes in to the atmosphere of the forest, seeks to "swallow" it and absorb it. It involves vision, hearing, smell, even tactile sensations - what you feel under your feet. In addition, in everyday life, plants have long been used as a tool for distinguishing between personal and public space: whether it be a pot of ficus on the desktop or shrubs planted around the perimeter of the house. The project combines both of these ideas to provide visitors with new experiences within the same city."
