WEST CAMBIE PARK
Last year, Polymétis’ proposal won a national call for an integrated landscape/ public art project, slated for West Cambie Park, in Richmond, B.C. This handmade model depicts an early iteration of the design, which will serve as a functional public art piece, offering a shady sitting area and plantings. “The project will potentially be Cnc-milled,” says Macleod, “so we’ve connected with a great fabricator in Vancouver who is also doing work for Shigeru Ban and Kengo Kuma.”
TIPPING POINT
Looking for more space to grow, the studio relocated to Toronto in 2014, where its series of winter boxes began. “We like the scale of these projects,” says Croft. “We use the neutral cube shape to focus on the interior, and for each we create an experience that zooms in on a very simple feature.” Of Hotbox, whose interior was soundproofed and lit by a single oculus, he says, “Exiting that small, dark space to face the frozen, grey lake created a profound moment.” “These projects were so small that we were able to really investigate the threshold of each one,” Macleod agrees. “In Icebox, we explored compression and expansion.” Expanded Horizon’s mirrored interior, meanwhile, multiplies the sun when it’s needed most. It’s no coincidence that all three boxes debuted in winter; they make the most of the surrounding greyness by maximizing contrast between light and dark, enclosed and open. “Winter can be brutal,” Croft says. “We’re trying to highlight some of the things that we think are beautiful about it.” Polymétis hit its stride in the latter half of 2017, as several of its proposals were picked up within a matter of weeks: Expanded Horizon; sun-set, a series of tree-wraps that superimposes a saturated sunset over Mississauga, Ontario’s snowy streets; and Lit, a glowing pink Christmas tree assembled from mirrors and prisms, which brought a dash of synthwave to the 12 Trees exhibit at the Gardiner Museum in Toronto. All three were unveiled by early December. The firm also won the call for a pavilion in West Cambie Park in Richmond, B.C. – their first permanent public installation.
WHAT’S NEXT
The West Cambie pavilion is a major departure. The proposal is for a towering tripod of parametric curves constructed from interlocking timber beams, as if the landscape itself were bursting upward. A translucent sunshade sits on top, funneling rainwater into an on-site estuary, “It’s a piece of art that’s also sustainable infrastructure,” says Croft. The pair expects the larger scale of the project to open more doors. They’ve already been shortlisted for another permanent public installation in Guelph, Ontario. “We enjoy small projects – a lot of the way we think is at that scale – but we would love to explore some of those concepts in larger forms,” Croft says. “A museum or gallery would be pretty amazing. But as long as we can work on varied projects, we’ll be happy.” polymetis.net