Kinetic Geodesic Dome

By Mehrnoosh Khadivi CRAFTWORK

Decorative kinetic geodesic dome, hand made in acid yellow mirror. Mirror Drop entirely soaks up the space in which it is located as it revolves, persistently reflecting surprising vistas in a refracted way thereby drawing in the viewer by revealing unexpected views and reflections.

Mirror Drop exhibits a strong connection to the historical and traditional craft of Iranian glass and mirror mosaics and Islamic pattern making. The strong geometrical forms in extruded mirror are used in modern architectural and spacial forms resulting in a kinetic and reflective work.

The first geodesic dome was invented in Jena, German in 1922 by Dr. Walter Bausedfeld who built a subdivided icosahedral hemisphere with a structural framework of light steel bars. Buckminster Fuller patented this same principle of geodesic domes utilising the subdivided icosahedron principles in 1954.

Mirror Drop is both inspired by the Buckminster Fuller domes and the spirit behind the home made dome structures of the 1960s at Drop City; the first American hippie dome community, built on the outskirts of Trinidad, Colorado. Where, having been inspired by a lecture by Buckminster Fuller, a group of architecture students founded Drop City. At Drop city domes became associated with the new lifestyle, the subculture, living in the round and ecology. Made out of acid visions, political idealism and chopped out car top dome panels, Drop City became a stop off point for hundreds of hitch hickers on their way to the Haight-Ashbury hippie mecca in 1967 and became known as the first rural hippie artist community. In 1967 the group, now consisting of 10 core people, won Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion award for their constructions. They had a commercial to promote the site: "kids, tear the top off your daddy's car, and send it, together with 10 cents in cash or coin, to Drop City, Colorado..."

ARTISANAL TABLE

By Romain Jantet

Romain is gratuated from RCA London and among many exciting experiences, he has worked with Mourad in 2005 for creative projects at sketch, London.

He made the Artisanal Table specially for "Momo At The Souks" in January 2011.

'What I wanted to do with this table was to mix different levels of craftmanship and technology. Continuing the exploration of self production.

The legs were hand carved on a band saw by myself out of a pine section used to build fences. The table top was hand made with Formica leftovers from a kitchen and bathroom furniture maker. The metallic connector for legs and top was laser cut and welded by an iron craftsman.

Being able to create things with my own hands (here the table legs) in a design project is both rare, because not financially savy as a system, and very enjoyable.'