Shoppers in Shanghai’s “Life Hub” Mall got more than they bargained for when they interacted with “Threshold,” an NYIT student-designed installation.
As part of the “Get It Louder” China art exhibition that showcases young artists and architects in accessible venues, Threshold was conceived and created entirely by Manhattan campus architecture students as a “great wall” that represented the boundaries as well as the openings between cultures, says Matthew Dockery, assistant professor of architecture. “The wall was inundated with openings, each of which provided views and reflection upon some aspect of the cross-cultural experience.”
The project—constructed entirely from cardboard boxes—received a positive response from Chinese shoppers, who couldn’t keep their hands off the display and enjoyed sticking their heads through from one side to the other, adds Adjunct Professor James Ke. In addition, the students were interviewed by ABBS, one of China’s top architecture Web sites, about their experiences.
“This was an event reserved for the most promising artists and architects in China,” says Ke. “From planning to production and exhibition to media presentation, our students really did NYIT proud.” An estimated 1 million people visited the shopping mall during the course of the exhibition.
SHANGHAI ENTERPRISE
Threshold was one part of a larger expedition by NYIT students. The group also teamed up with their peers from Tongji University to produce more than a dozen design schemes for a 500,000-square-foot pavilion at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo. Professor Yiru Huang, chair of the architecture department at Tongji University, gave high praise to the quality of work that resulted from the joint effort.
Students agreed with the assessment. “The synergy between Tongji and NYIT students produced a caliber of work that I have never seen at NYIT,” says senior Alex Rippere. “As a learning exercise, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
NYIT students also visited urban design museums and explored several areas of the country, including the Great Wall of China.
“I recorded more than 280 sketched pages of notes, drawings, and observations, along with more than 1,500 photographs from Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Chongqing,” says senior Max Montrey.
“Being in China enhanced my education in so many ways,” says junior Stacy Shalla. “I learned new ways to study and new ways to think. And I learned there is a whole world out there waiting for me to explore.” |
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NYIT architecture students crossed a “Threshold” in their education when they displayed their work in a Shanghai shopping mall in China.
In addition to working with their peers from Tongji University, NYIT students visited urban design museums and had the opportunity to explore some of China’s most historic locales. |
