identity and circularity come together
ZOETMULDER has designed a circular interior for RADIUS, a new center for art and ecology in Delft. The art center will be located in the water basin of an old water tower and the interior design finds direct inspiration from within the unique characteristics of the building. RADIUS will open its doors to the public on May 8th 2022. We directly use the existing building to harvest materials for the new interior. For example, concrete fragments of new breakthroughs are repurposed for the front desk, book display and display elements. An old cast iron lid will become a counter front and a steel main water pipe will become a leg for the book display. This will create a sturdy and recognizable interior that will match the sustainable and circular ambitions of RADIUS.
Alongside the harvested materials, we deliberately choose ‘real’ materials that show their natural texture such as wood, natural stone, mycelium and steel. By bringing the new and harvested materials together as a collage the layering and depth of materials and textures will become visible. As it were, a geological cross-section of the earth where the addition of humans in relation to nature becomes visible.
The front desk in the entrance hall consists of a harvested cast iron cover and a large concrete piece. These will all be completed with a functional rear cabinet in green-stained wood, topped with re-purposed green marble from a leftovers batch. The book display, in the same space, consists of a combination of a large harvested main water pipe with a top of harvested concrete. The exhibition space will be located in the underground water basin, within a distinctive circular geometry. Derived from this curve, wooden benches and seats have been designed in a curvelinear form and are stained in the red-brown color of the existing textured walls. The harvested concrete will be used to make stands for digital screens.
L-shaped panels are placed to create resting points in the circular passage. These panels are made with mycelium, this durable sheet material made of fungi has a beautifully natural texture that matches the texture of the existing walls. In addition the mycelium contributes to the acoustic dampening in the circular exhibition space.
The design for RADIUS will be a unique example of repurposing where identity and circularity come together.
