Uncomfortable beauty
An interview with Venelin Kokalov, design principal at Revery Architecture
Normally, Venelin Kokalov, principal architect at Revery Architecture, strives to design and create buildings that are both beautiful and comfortable. But these are not normal times, and sometimes feeling uncomfortable is the only thing that motivates people to change, says Kokalov.
This is the thinking behind Revery Architecture’s DUCKT installation at London Design Biennale (June 1 to 27), a biannual design event showcasing leading international talent. Kokalov’s firm was chosen to represent Canada at this event and will be exhibiting at Somerset House on the River Thames in central London.
This year’s theme is Resonance because “everything we design and everything we produce resonates,” says the show’s artistic director, Es Devlin.
Revery’s DUCKT exhibition features oversized heating ducts made from golden aluminum that dominate the Canadian Pavilion at the show. Beautiful, on the one hand, but awkward and uncomfortable, as well. The installation includes loud, unpleasant noise at times, and hot and cold temperatures, with show participants having to clamber under one large heating duct and then another.
The idea, says Kokalov, is that they’re designed to encourage people to stop and think about how we’re building our buildings: the heating and cooling systems we’re using, the materials we’re choosing, where we’re spending our money — ultimately, how we’re living.
Though the ducts have reflective surfaces — show participants can see themselves as they move through the installation — they can’t see what’s coming up ahead, which is symbolic of an uncertain future.
People naturally want to build spaces that are comfortable and easy to live in, says Kokalov, but are then surprised by what these creature comforts cost, which could be monetary or environmental, and then they suffer if they ever lose these comforts.
As the show’s theme says: everything we design and everything we produce has
consequences — and as far as the planet’s concerned, our consequences are starting to show, says Kokalov.
When it comes to building, we are so reliant on mechanical systems, he says. In summer, we use air conditioning, and then in winter, we turn up the heat.
“I think we have to rethink our behaviour and adjust to the seasons properly,” he says.
Kokalov used his tried-andtrue architecture techniques in designing this art installation. When designing any building, Kokalov always begins by drawing a person and then the things around that person, affecting how they move through the space.
He took the same approach when designing the University of Chicago’s new Hong Kong campus, the Xiqu Centre Opera House (also in Hong Kong), the Arena Stage Theatre in Washington D.C., and SFU’S new Sustainable Energy Engineering Building in Surrey. It’s also evident in the iconic Butterfly residential tower in downtown Vancouver, which is currently being built.
“I create slow spaces and fast spaces. I use materials to slow people down,” he says.
In Revery’s DUCKT installation, people find themselves stuck between the two oversized pipes, which slows them down, so they have more time to think and reflect.
“I think it will be an unforgettable experience,” he says.
The right design can influence how we feel and change the way we think, says Kokalov, so he’s hoping this installation has people thinking about the future.
Through DUCKT, Revery hopes to further Devlin’s aim for the show, which is to spark deeper conversations about issues of global importance, like climate change, and provoke the right kind of change, says Kokalov.