Art Cube

Concept: Transforming Boundaries

Art CUBE is a prototype that takes the common notion of the frame, a solid border that usually surrounds a picture or painting, and transforms this boundary into a temporary outdoor gallery space. This simple transformation is accomplished by extruding the frame and separating it into two halves. Next, one of the halves is rotated 90 degrees and then interlocked with the other half of the frame. The resulting gaps and spaces between the two pieces form the gallery enclosure and allow light and people to filter through the space. The result is a compact, yet sophisticated space that is secure and enhances the installation of work by selected artists.

Materiality + Structure:

The exterior of Art CUBE is primarily clad in Coroplast which is a flexible, lightweight plastic that is tougher than corrugated fiberboard and lighter than extruded plastic sheet. It is waterproof, stain-resistant, and 100% recyclable. Coroplast comes in a variety of standard colors and is widely used in the screen printing industry. Openings in the gallery are infilled with acrylic glazing which is also 100% recyclable. The interior walls will be clad with a 16 gauge perforated metal that will be painted white. This metal is perforated with a slot hole pattern and has elongated holes with rounded ends and straight parallel sides. This material accommodates any number of hanging or display devices making the interior extremely flexible when it comes to the display of various types of art.

The structure of Art CUBE is created by interlocking a series of plywood ribs. These ribs would be laid out and cut from 4’ x 8’ sheets using a CNC router in order to maximize material usage and minimize waste. The CNC machine allows for greater accuracy and speed in the mass production of the structural ribs.

Sustainability:

Art CUBE contributes to the reduction of environmental waste on all three aspects.

Reduce – Art CUBE’s design and construction produces strength and rigidity at a lower weight, thereby reducing the amount of raw material required.

Reuse – Art CUBE is design as a durable temporary structure that can be reused over and over enabling a longer useful life.