Catalog

Fairyland Playscape
– Soft Space by Groundwork

2017-2022

Hong Kong – K11 B2/F Mainland China – Guangzhou, Anhui, Shanghai, Hefei

Project Description:

/ Architecture as Toy Play with Art /
Groundwork was commissioned by K11 shopping mall, to convert the shopping mall basement to an art area. We had created series of inflatable art pieces to transform spaces into large toys.
Our “Soft Space” are series of spatial interventions that are comprised by large interactive inflatable installations fused with animations, special lighting effects and music. The combination of these spatial elements may allow our visitors to relax and to immerse into the experience that we have tailored.

Our visitors may bounce, slide, prank with each other within our “Soft Space”. Young visitors are encouraged to take risks at these safe environments and create adventures. Grown-ups are very likely to find themselves to be children on bouncing castle, but in a much cooler version. We hope that our Soft-spaces art experiences may allow anyone to have joy and recall their childhood memories.

“Soft Space” is series of experiments that we have conducted not only to explore the nexus of architecture’s missions, also to explore the boundaries of art, toy, and architecture.

Description how the project contributes with humanity:

/ Toy as Architecture Art with Play /
“Play keeps us vital and alive. It gives us an enthusiasm for life that is irreplaceable. Without it, life just doesn’t taste good.” Lucia Capocchione.

Everyone would have said that play is important for kids. We felt obligated to arouse the sound: playgrounds should not be limited to kids, play space should be accessible for people of all ages to enjoy. Architecture should be all things to all people.

Therefore, we began to question how physical space may bring people happiness in the most
direct way. We wonder if the spaces surrounding people is soft and ductile. It would allow them to be calm free, liberated and to be in touch with our innocence again – a key to pure happiness.

The large inflatable architectural “toys” were created based on the initial intention of human interacting with forms. To recall visitors” childhood memories- at the time we were messing with a piece of plasticine or a balloon, we created joy out of these random “toys”. Visitors were encouraged to appropriate themselves against these simple randomly formed shapes and recall their joy of playing and imagination.