Simple... Self supporting...

This experiment by Steven Holl Architects  in collaboration with Albefex is quite interesting and simple... Using CNC techniques they have created a flat pack form which can be used as furniture (top image) or can be adapted for structural use (bottom image). By having a flat back panel and a rectangular base and top it can support itself.

I can just never forget...

This design for a Reebok pop up shop (2008), FLASH by formavision, in New York is an interior that has always stuck in my mind... I love the boldness and energy which the design reflects through use of colour and angular shapes.

Taking a step back...

Feeling like I am designing 3 different projects as I am using different shapes, representing each collection, for each section of the pop up shop... Whilst trying to design the whole structure so it is self supporting seems like a task too large for the timescale, and budget of the project. So I have looked back at simple pop up shops which could be more feasible...

One example I came across was the Hemmingway KiosKisok project (www.kioskiosk.co.uk)which is a type of pop up shop/market stall which designers can apply to use for free.

I have been trying to design a more complex shape... an entire new structure to make the pop up shop more interesting. However I do think that keeping the design more simple like this pop up shop/independent market stall by Hemmingway can be just as impressive and effective. The actual design of this is very simple in terms of its exterior and interior as many different designers will use this so the design needs to suit all kinds. As I am designing a pop up shop for one designer I can add a little more character and make the design more personal and specific to Liannas style.

Maybe the pop up shop could be based on the simple form of a market stall where there are 3 'walls' with an overhead shelter, leaving the front completely open so all products are on display without a whole enclosed structure concealing them... I still want this to be easily constructed and folded away for transportation... I would also like the design to be easily adapted to be located within a rented, interior, space for when Liannas fashion collections grow and more space is required. This adaptation could be quite simple such as using vinyl shapes for the window and disconnecting parts of the 'mini' pop up shop so there can be 3 clusters arranged within the space so that it doesn't just look like a glorified market stall sitting within a space...

Play with Shapes...

I have been focusing mostly on the design of the the triangular Modu_gram section of the pop up shop so I have decided to move onto the Play with Shapes collection... I have started to draw in elevation so I can decide on the angles and shape combinations you would see if standing in the space, before moving into a 3D model where I can then experiment which shapes I will create 3D elements for and which shape I will have at a slope etc.

Zips and umberellas...

The method of zipping to keep a structure together has been used before! Kengo Kuma created 'umbrella house' using umbrellas and zips... I would like the pop up shop to have more rigidity than this so maybe adding polypropylene to it could help strengthen the structure.

Folding objects...

I have been thinking about objects and structures that fold and easily open and close which I could adapt for the structure of the pop up shop...

I may have to merge a few of these methods together to achieve a complete folding structure but I don't want to the design to get too complex so I may try to see if only one method could be used to keep it simple.

Back to paper...

Whilst creating the form with black wool I began to get quite interested by it as my mind began to imagine some triangular planes being solid and some hollow where garments could hang from. I created a paper model of this to see where it would take me...

I gradually unfolded the form. When the model was fully unfolded I thought the octagonal shape was visually interesting so I increased the scale of this using foamboard to see how it could work for part of the pop up shops structure. It required quite a lot of structural support from tape attached to the wall. However if this unit was joined to the whole form of the pop up shop then maybe the balance and stability would increase...