Saltscapes
Investigating salt as a building material by augmenting its structural integrity and aesthetics
EXHIBITIONS
2024 New Designers, Business Design Centre, London, UK
2023 Back of House, Cromwell Place Gallery, London Design Festival, London, UK
PUBLICATIONS
“Top Spots at New Designers”, Material Source, July 2024
Photography by Julia Brière
ABOUT
Saltscapes is a furniture series that investigates salt as a building material. In the pursuit of resource efficiency in the construction industry, identifying substitutes for scarce resources are crucial. Salt could emerge as a viable option. The project investigates the physical, mechanical, and aesthetic properties of salt and the crystallization process.
Each furniture piece is crafted using catenary curves, inspired by Gaudí’s technique to model La Sagrada Familia. His use of catenary curves was to freeze forms under tension and create structures that excel in compression. Saltscapes explores how this fusion can augment the technical properties and aesthetics of salt crystallization, ultimately opening new pathways for its future applications.
MATERIALITY EXPERIMENTS
Exploring material culture
Materials influence the essence of an object, forming the trajectory of material culture itself. I exlored crystalization on domestic objects. Speciffically, humble and yet ubiquitous utensils. A seemingly unassuming utensil, its materiality has a capacity to shape our culinary experiences, social rituals, and even our perception of aesthetics. A fork, for example, is now often crafted from stainless steel.
The material has a sense of durability and reliability, embodying the values of efficiency and practicality. I crystalized various parts of the utensils to shift these sets of values. Once stable and practical, it is now jagged and precarious. The crystals add an element of visual charm, infusing the act of dining with an aesthetic pleasure. This alternative material choice instills a sense of ephemerality and playfulness.
