Passersby to Melbourne Central are presented with a new design installation that literally lives and breathes, as Annie Reid discovers.
April 7th, 2014
Designed by emerging artist, Hamish Munro, the innovative installation is the winner of the inaugural The Kisho Prize, an award that pays homage to Melbourne’s culture as well as Japanese designer, Kisho Kurokawa, who designed Melbourne Central in the 1980s.
Measuring six by three metres, the installation comprises a large inflatable sculpture made from digitally printed nylon fabric, which draws on Brutalism and Metabolism themes, as well as references the concrete pod shapes in Kurokawa’s Nakagin Capsule Tower, in Tokyo.
Artist, Hamish Munro
Suspended below a skylight, the sculpture floats around a steel armature filled with air. Within it, a series of pulleys and strings connect to panel flaps on the outside, which hook up to an existing biometrics machine that records foot traffic data passing through the centre.
As visitors enter and exit the centre, the flaps expand or restrict to change the overall sculpture’s shape, according to the data. “These spaces can be seen as new pods or modules of life, connecting to pre‐existing pathways, lanes, buildings or streets,” Munro says. “My vision of Melbourne’s city is a constant evolution driven by the people who live in it.” The award was judged by a panel of design experts, who invited five creative finalists to submit an installation concept. Announced the winner late last year; Munro was presented with a production budget of $30,000 to bring his submission into life, alongside a bursary of $10,000.
The award was judged by a panel of design experts, who invited five creative finalists to submit an installation concept. Announced the winner late last year; Munro was presented with a production budget of $30,000 to bring his submission into life, alongside a bursary of $10,000.
The sculpture will be available to view for 12 months, and is located on Level two of the Lonsdale Street building, in the Designer Precinct.
Melbourne Central
melbournecentral.com.au
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
XTRA celebrates the distinctive and unexpected work of Magis in their Singapore showroom.
Elevate any space with statement lighting to illuminate and inspire.
In this candid interview, the culinary mastermind behind Singapore’s Nouri and Appetite talks about food as an act of human connection that transcends borders and accolades, the crucial role of technology in preserving its unifying power, and finding a kindred spirit in Gaggenau’s reverence for tradition and relentless pursuit of innovation.
In design, the concept of absence is particularly powerful – it’s the abundant potential of deliberate non-presence that amplifies the impact of what is. And it is this realm of sophisticated subtraction that Gaggenau’s Dishwasher 400 Series so generously – and quietly – occupies.
Commercial designers and architects are increasingly thinking about sustainability beyond just “going green”. SUMU Design Director Felice Carlino explains why when recalling their recent project with Dexus Sydney.
Thinking Ergonomix’s CASINO presents a storage solution that will invoke the interior designer within every person.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Don’t miss your chance to be part of Sydney Open 2025! Submit your Expression of Interest for this year’s city-wide event by Friday, 9 May.
Woods Bagot has completed a lobby refurbishment inspired by the historic architecture of the Palace Hotel.