Posted by Jen
Architecture | 31 Jul 08 | Comments (0) | Stumble
Sadly, Douglas Gauthier and Jeremy Edmiston’s BURST*008 was closed briefly when I visited the exhibit, so I didn’t get to see the inside (other than on tippy-toe, sneaking a peek through the full-height picture window at rear). No worries: the angular, almost aerodynamic exterior was entertainment enough. Comprised of 1,000-plus pieces of milled plywood held together with some 540 steel clips, the house quite literally bursts from the landscape (um, concrete lot) in an explosion of painted-plywood facets levitating on sticklike legs. But marveling at the architecture is not the point of BURST*. Ultimately, the structure puts the emphasis on nature: The house’s rear elevation unfurls in a cascade of bleacher-style seating, all the better to sit and enjoy the view—out.
For Gauthier and Edmiston’s detailed account of the design and fabrication process, check out MoMA’s video-embedded website devoted to the show:
