PASSAGE
International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York, NY
Joining the two parts of the 2001 ICFF, this intimate tubular enclosure twists in both plan and section to negotiate the transfer between existing access points of the main Javits Center building and the adjunct North Exhibition Pavilion. The form results from a structural concept of tactical accommodation - a responsive logic that works around existing obstacles.52 specific sections rigorously map the irregular space and its mechanical and structural anomalies. Each idiosyncratic section morphs with the pure geometry of a simple tube section, resulting in a series of geometrically linked ribs that form the passage’s exo-skeleton. A dual-color interior fabric lining envelopes crowds in multiple layers of supple plasticized mesh – a horizontal drape – suspended in tension with thousands of springs. The structure bridges a semi-enclosed alley space and penetrates into the interior of both adjacent exhibition halls, unfolding as visual markers of the link and providing primary access passage for the 110,000 sf exhibition.
