Urban Adapter features in the current
Shenzen and Hong Kong Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture, by
Rocker Lange Architects. Practicing as an international collaborative team working from Hong Kong (Christian J. Lange) and Cambridge, USA (Ingeborg Rocker) –which seems to be an increasingly familiar practice phenomenon– the duo are also embedded in educational practice, both holding Assistant Professorial positions at their local Universities.
Which brings us to the Urban Adapter, a parametrically derived piece of urban infrastructure (I swear it's more than just a chair), coded for site-specificity, local micro-context, and of course function(s). Okay, I'm not saying the formal result of this particular piece is mind-blowing, or even especially innovative, we've seen these before: the vertically sectioned, laser/plasma-cut pieces, part-bench, part-wall etc. etc.... but that's not the (or their) point, the validating aspect of the project is the ability for mass-customisable derivatives from this design 'family', adaptable to any site, anywhere.
The architects explain: "at its core the model utilizes explicit site information and programmatic data to react and interact with its environment. That way the model's DNA structure is capable of producing a variety of unique furniture results. Together they generate an endless family of new urban bench furniture."
Diagram of parametric derivation (all images can be viewed larger here)
Diagram of constructive elements
In-situ at the Bi-City Biennale.
What this project presents is a situation (a process) where any city in the world could simply enter specific site conditions, desired functions (sitting, lying, displaying...), budget (commensurate with scale), local material of choice, and click Create. Rocker Lange could simply connect with local manufacturers in say, Auckland, or Petone, and click Print, and with minimal energy, straightforward construction and installation, the Urban Adapter becomes a cost-effective urban (or wherever for that matter) safety net, when the creative lights have all but gone out in Council.