KITSCH EDIFICE

3D PRINTED CONCRETE [WORK IN PROGRESS]

Type: Design Research
Duration: June - July 2016
Support: ADAPT-r Marie Curie Research Grant
Exhibited at Ambika P3, University of Westminster, London, UK

Kitsch Edifice is a speculative urban tectonic. 3D printed in concrete in the form of a Victorian urban block, it is a play on mock architectural styles popularized by uncultivated taste. As building technologies evolve, new forms of architectural imitation emerge. Archaic architectural elements such as keystones and corner stones undergo multiple translations, estranging the figure from its orginal purpose: From structural element to cladding detail and finally to a mere gesture articuled by toolpaths.

This project juxtaposes kitsch design against a disfigured, Frankenstien’s monster version of itself by using a combination of geometric distortions and toolpath manipulations, deviated and contorted through changes in speed and excess material extrusion.