Sathorn Sign made with 1,000 CDs

Project Title: Unwasted Memories

Condition: Built

Date: 06/2020

/ The "Sathorn Sign" is an annual installation located at the Bhiraj Tower near Surasak BTS station in Bangkok. The low-rise office campus is part of the real estate development by the Bhiraj Bhuri group. This project, in particular, breaks free from the typical cookie-cutter approach to high-rise buildings in heavily congested areas.

The building is freshly converted from an old warehouse complex to modern office space while keeping much of the existing structure and preserving green areas.

The design reflects the "Freedom to think" and emphasizes the ideas of how we can refocus the old and obsolete into something fresh, which ultimately suggests a change in attitudes toward a friendly corporate culture, one that facilitates interaction and embraces a sense of community. /

/ Compact disc or CD was a popular data storage medium. It was considered as a safe and permanent place to store data and memories. However, in modern-day, most of them were replaced by the convenience of alternatives such as cloud storage.

CDs have become relics of the past that people rarely use. Many old CDs and DVDs left in the office were gathered, then categorized into groups with their reflective color grading. As a result, we decided to use this once-valuable object, that still appeals to its physical properties as the main construction materials for the installation.

With the facade of Bhiraj Tower at Sathorn as a reference, we then created a parametric design pattern from discs repetition. The vibrant reflective hologram color of the material has allowed us to play with lights and shadow by hanging them on a frame structure and connects them at various rotational angles. /

/ The individual angle is determined by the pivoting point that attached to the center of every disc, allowing them to rotate horizontally. Besides, the CDs were arranged in serrated formations similar to a fish scale. The design helps fill the space more efficiently as well as assists in avoiding collisions and protects against the wind.

Digital fabrication with differ design typology

Subsequently, the natural aesthetic of the installation changes depends on the point of inspection, tones of environment, time of day, residents' behavior, as well as material aging, which flavored the installation with rich colors. /

/ After sundown, the letter reacts accordingly by letting the light from the pillar shines through the hole of the CDs, reflecting off one another to reveal it's concealed beauty to the residents who wander pass the campus.

Credits:

In collaboration with Conscious

Conscious is a visual communication design studio based in Bangkok. They treat design just like equations and riddles. Their methodology in solving them varies depending on your preferences and impressions. Only one aspect that differs between the two is that design has no definite solution. Join them to explore the endless possibility of design at https://www.facebook.com/conscious.co.th/