workshop: LEVITAS is an international design collaboration between structural engineer Bruce Danziger (USA, a long-time Ove Arup team member), and emerging architects Shu-Chi Hsu (Taiwan), and Moritz Freund (Germany). LEVITAS stands for lightness. In contrast to conventional architecture based on gravity, the design team wants to manifest precisely the essence of the physical world, which are light, chaos and ephemera. The collaboration explores innovative structures and spatial design, which makes the heaviest material float and exposes the most solid properties of the weakest.

Jenna Didier and Oliver Hess of infranatural invited workshop:LEVITAS to design a bamboo bridge for the installation. The bridge began with a simple structural diagram drawn by Bruce Danziger, resembling a propped cantilever.

The bridge began with a simple structural diagram drawn by Bruce Danziger, resembling a propped cantilever. With the help of Moritz Freund and Schuchi Hsu, workshop:LEVITAS further developed the diagram to create a curved and partially cut-away tube to function as the primary stage from which visitors can interact with the water and its creatures. The bamboo tube is a walkthrough structure with transports, guides and protects the visitor during his experience with the Monsters.

Members participated: Bruce Danziger, Moritz Freund, Shu-Chi Hsu, Mecky Reuss

crosswired
@ A+D Museum: 5900 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036   map

Performance1: 4.20.07 @ 8pm (2 Hours)
Performance2: 4.27.07 @ 8pm (2 Hours)
Performance3: 5.04.07 @ 8pm (2 Hours)
Performance4: 5.11.07 @ 8pm (2 Hours)