Modular Blocks Gallery Furniture
Unlike other types of furniture, gallery seating has the unique challenge of blending in seamlessly with the space. This fact paired with the constant changing of exhibitions and its ever evolving themes, makes it critical for a seat to be both thematic yet subtle. Modular Blocks provides a sustainable and scalable solution to this. With its variety of size and CNC-build design, not only does it provide seating from various heights, but it also gives way to the echoing of an artwork’s theme through seating arrangements.
Softwares Used: Fusion 360, and Adobe Illustrator
Touchpoints: Furniture Design, Prototyping, and CNC-Build Design
Client: Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art
Year: 2021
Location: Davis, CA
The Process
It all began with Kota Ezawa’s National Anthem and an idea one of my design teammates, Zoey Ward. Zoey had the brilliant idea to extend the experience of Ezawa’s piece through implementing bleachers as gallery seating. To take this idea a step further, I wanted to ensure that while the spirit of Ezawa’s piece was still prominent in
the furniture, that it would also be a sustainable investment for future exhibitions and ADA-friendly. To do this, I deconstructed the overall shape of bleachers into three separate blocks— each one allowing visitors to see from their respective positions, while also leaving room for future artworks’ subtle thematic representation.