Stair Installation
Date: April 2013
Frederick University, Nicosia
The project entitled ‘let’s intervene’ aimed to transform the transitional public spaces of Frederick University into places of memory and experience. Interior Design students in groups followed a project brief which was devised to allow others to be co-producers in the design process. ‘Let’s Intervene’ aimed to discover if playful interactive experiences would increase social interactions, improve creativity and generate a greater sense of place.
During a two-month design process, designers were split into two groups of 6 persons. Design development followed a typical process of: Research, Sketching, Design Proposals, Modelling, Concept Development, Material Selection and Final Designs.
The high traffic and transitional staircase situated at the main entrance was the initial site of framework implementation. This is one of three entrances to the main building. The question within this site was if through an interactive design experience, the stairs could hold new meaning within the campus?
Concept development resulted in vertical red lines being applied to the staircase. The intervention of the monotonous everyday space, mixed with an attractive coloured and humorous design, aimed to capture immediate attention. The intervention caused surprise, confusion and even humour, encouraging and promoting social interaction through a contribution of ideas and opinions in relation to the playful design. As users gained familiarity, freer exploration and a heightened sense of play was observed, enhancing the argument that interaction design allows for renewed creativity. The lines permitted users to choose their own path of movement, allowing all to move freely about the space, whilst at the same time guiding them through structured pathways. Several users walked on or in between the continuous lines, while the more imaginative users moved about the space in patterned movements by zigzagging back and forth. No rules applied and no explanations were required for exploration, permitting personal interpretations and meanings.