An exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) about – and developed by – Studio Gang Architects (SGA) in conjunction with the AIC has just opened last Sunday, September 24, 2012 and will be on display in the new Modern Wing until Sunday, February 24, 2013.
The exhibit not only investigates the work of celebrated architect Jeanne Gang and her associates but also strives to convey a sense of the process which has led to their portfolio of projects completed or still on the drawing boards.
The exhibit itself reveals its own process history. The most striking aspect of the exhibit is the series of kiosks made of steel pipe rings and nylon cord. The structures house aspects of the creative process that sometimes include models, sometimes architectual materials, and sometimes video displays. They nylon cord is strung between curved steel pipes to create intricate geometric patterns not unlike a weaver’s.
Look at the structure with a full ring at the top and an “S” curve at the bottom, which, like the other kiosks, allows an opening like a tepee to access the interior. There’s a complex simplicity to this work.
According to SGA, the inspiration for the “rope rooms” derived from their design of the Kaohsiung Maritime Cultural and Pop Music Center in Taiwan. Rope was commonly found on the harbor site and a knot made from the rope influenced the design. Furthermore, a string model of the design displayed at the exhibit morphed into similar rope shapes made from ceramic tile in the final version of the cultural center.
A video at the exhibit about the development of the exhibit opens with computer-generated models of the rope rooms rotating in space. Then we see models being strung at SGA’s offices by its associates.
The video then cuts to three-inch-diameter pipe being curved to a ten foot radius ring by artisans at Chicago Metal Rolled Products, a company that specializes in curving steel. Saw cut and welded, the ring is then ground smooth at the weld joint. Lastely, we see studs being welded to the pipe which will become the points of attachments for the ropes.
According to SGA, “the custom-made installation of the rope rooms in this exhibition at the Art Institute illustrates how SGA builds on a continuum of ideas from one project to the next as a way to strengthen its output”.
