Spactrum transforms construction materials into furniture for own office

Chinese architecture studio Spactrum has repurposed construction-site tools and materials to furnish its own office in Shanghai.

The materials and tools used for the furniture include moulds, refractory bricks and floor decking, which are commonly used in building construction but have to be removed or concealed when the construction is completed.

After witnessing several of its buildings being constructed from scratch, Spactrum became fascinated by these engineering tools that normally escape the public eye.

"They demonstrate strong presence and play essential roles in building construction, but eventually have to be dismantled, removed or concealed," Spactrum design principal Yan Pan told Dezeen. "We want to celebrate these 'unsung heroes', which represent the engineering genius but are rarely seen by the public, in our new office in Shanghai."

Two long tables sit at the centre of the office, where they are used to display project models. For one of them, Spactrum created a glass tabletop supported by a welded system designed as a structural span.

The system was made from floor decking, commonly used as both a casting formwork and for internal reinforcement in big-scale concrete pouring and framing.

Metal and plastic concrete moulds, used as the main shaping tool when pouring concrete, were transformed into table legs.

The surface of the second table has a marble-like pattern, which was created from fireproof supporting plates made with refractory fibres and sealed with resin.

According to Spactrum the plates, used for brick making, make for an ideal workstation surface.

Stacked refractory bricks, designed to withstand high temperatures, were used as a supporting base for furniture throughout the office.

The sacks used for building-material packaging also received a new look. After being filling with cotton then sewed together, the sacks now serve both as a screen and as a backdrop on which the studio showcases photos of its latest projects.

Pan described the project as a "constructed landscape” that speaks to the beauty of the behind-the-scene stories of building construction, rather than the finished architectural form of beauty.

"We believe a true 'landscape' does not come directly from the pursuit of a certain form of beauty," said Pan.

"In this project, the force of different narratives beyond the appearances coming together form a constructed landscape."

Pan, alongside his partner Zhen Li, founded Spactrum in 2012 in London and the studio now has offices in Beijing and Shanghai.

Its recent regeneration and redevelopment project of Chaichanglong Historic Area in Hangzhou was shortlisted in the mixed-use project category of Dezeen Awards China 2023.

The photography is by SFAP unless otherwise stated.

The post Spactrum transforms construction materials into furniture for own office appeared first on Dezeen.