O Days is a music festival that takes place in Refshaleøen, Copenhagen. For the event, they held an open call competition seeking creatives to design an 1:1 piece which is developed and constructed on the festival-site. Questioning how do we reshape the materials, rethink its purpose, and reuse that definitive space after the festival? This is my spatial installation proposal that I submitted. The prompt asked for a 6x6 meter installation that is primary made of refuse materials and that could be reused or recycled after the event. This is my first time submitting an idea for a design competition and it’s nice to be able to use some of the new skills and approaches that I’m learning in spatial design at KADK.
Cross Court fosters exchanges of play and creates a space where people can have conversations about change in a more casual and relaxed atmosphere. Discussions about change don’t necessarily need to be placed in a formal and serious setting and can happen in situations where individuals are also enjoying themselves.
Inspired by its use for clay court tennis, the recycled red brick gravel would be used as the ground material for a pétanque court. As an activity, pétanque felt like a more social sport which allows for closer interactions to happen between multiple groups of players.
Traditionally, the pétanque court has smoother gravel and with longer, more open dimensions. The recycled red brick material is not as not fine, however this texture could offer unexpected challenges to make the game a bit more interesting. The game confronts players in rethinking the materials they normally take for granted - like the ground beneath them - and imagine new contexts for other spaces that have traditional boundaries and materials (ie. domestic, office, public areas ect.)
In order to prompt this kind of thinking, Cross Court also adjusts the normally rectangular gameplay of Pétanque. With two sets of Pétanque available, the X shaped court offers inevitable interaction between the two groups playing. Written on the boules, there can be prompts like: “Who helped pave the path for you?”, “Do challenges make games more fun?” or “When is space too small?” These questions can spark thoughtful conversations about the future of connectivity, adaptability and comfort.
After the festival, the installation is simple to disassemble and even move to another location. A wooden frame holds the gravel in place with tarps placed underneath for easier cleanup and transportation. In the end, the gravel and wood will go back to Norrecco to their facilities in Prøvestenen to be put back into their circular systems. The Pétanque set could be donated to Copenhagen Contemporary or I’m sure the Royal Danish Academy could use a couple extra sets.
