An installation, employing the thermally modified American ash and the American white oak, presents itself as a “cocoon” to protect from urban bustle. This is the work created by T.ZED Architects and AMBB Furniture Manufacturing, in collaboration with the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) - American hardwood Industry Association – previewed at the Downtown Design, at the Design District in Dubai.
The installation “The Cocoon” - which uses the material previously used to cover the pavilions of the AHEC exhibition in Turkey - aspires to find a lasting location, free from the exhibition context and therefore contextualized in public spaces in the UAE, even after the end of the event. The basic concept is actually to create a delicate structure that can allow people to isolate themselves, physically and metaphorically, from the surrounding urban dynamism, inviting them into a quiet space in which only moments of reflection could arise.
According to the founder and director of T.ZED Architects, Tarik Al Zaharna, the biggest challenge has been not only to use a certain amount of thermally modified ash, but also to try to give new life to these woods through a different use, while ensuring the least amount of waste.
“When we made the first sketches, Frei Otto and Peter Zumthor came to mind as great inspirers for this project, as we wanted to portray a visual lightness in a typically massive structure. The internally recreated peace by means of natural light entering from above is intimately connected to the sky and beyond, and the movement of the sun is drawn from that of the light within the space”, Zaharna tells. “We, T.ZED Architects, insist on the use of natural materials, as far as possible, since we feel this is the best way for architects and craftsmen to remain modern and sustainable in our design.”
