studio catherine griffiths

images © David St George and Catherine Griffiths

05 a corporate world

selected

exhibition: A bespoke display system for New Zealand Institute of Architects

exhibition: Point of Distance
Venice Architecture Biennale 2014 submission

exhibition: Diverse Practice
School of Architecture, VUW

exhibition: ParlourLIVE!
Venice Architecture Biennale 2016 submission

film: Making Waves with 20...

id: Athfield Architects
id: KAREN Network
id: KTA
id: Logan Studio
id: The Oxygen Group
id: Parlour
id: REANNZ
id: Sharon Jansen Architect
id: Stevens Lawson Architects
id: TRANSFORM
id: TŪMANAKO : HOPE

online: Interstices Journal

print: A+W•NZ
print: BRAIN magazine, JP
print: Desktop magazine, AU
print: Adam Art Gallery
print: Kristy Gorman
print: Creative New Zealand
print: TypeSHED11
print: RAMIREZ/LAINUS

poster: A+W•NZ
poster: A Cadavre Exquis, TS11
poster: Fête du Graphisme 2015
poster: Blue Oyster Art Space
poster: Like This, Like Us
poster: Man-Made
poster: Salted:Singlet
poster: Things That Move Me
poster: Wonder-Land
poster: Window

wayfinding: Athfield Architect
wayfinding: Distance Markers
wayfinding: Fran Wilde Walk

A bespoke display system

client: New Zealand Institute of Architects

80 units of black anodised aluminium tubing, 100s of clamps, each unit carries four A2 sized sheets, each held by a pair of small wooden clips with pegs. Each centre displays a metal NZIA ‘flag’. The winners are tagged after the announcements with a W folded onto the sheet.

In mid-2015 I took on a commission to design and produce a light-weight modular display system for the NZIA Local Architecture Awards. The Awards are held annually in eight cities around New Zealand.

My proposition to the NZIA was to articulate the illusion of space: by “drawing space in line”. How this framework would exhibit the content without dominating, be light and flexible enough to adapt, yet be defining of space, and offer a sense of atmosphere in the viewing, I sought to find the balance between conceptual and practical.

Drawing on the spatial and material qualities of other projects, both two and three dimensional, observing the lightness of my studio (which I built, and parts of which acted as a prototype), and with input early on from product designer Jamie McLellan, the idea developed into a practical and real possibility with Rob Uivel and his team at Human Dynamo Workshop who fabricated and produced the system. I then turned my attention to the design of a flexible template, and produced 200-odd architects’ sheets which were digitally printed onto a synthetic paper — robust in handling and movement, and light, almost translucent, in appearance.

Five of us assembled the first 12 units on the day of the Auckland Local Awards, April 28, 2016. What a quiet thrill (and relief) it was to see the concept finally take position in the very cool Herbst Maxcey designed Heliport, only to be dismantled the following day ... the first in the series of one night stands.