Hong Kong designer Michael Young has designed a showroom in Shanghai to showcase applications for solid surface material Corian.

The Corian Design Studio opened last week and contains structures made using machinery specially developed for Young's project.

One of the main features is a curved wall created using 3D CNC technology (above) and assembled from thousands of Corian bricks.

Here's some more from the designer:

The First “DuPontTM Corian® Design Studio”” of Asia Opens in Shanghai, China

Michael Young has designed the DuPontTM Corian® Design Studio in Shanghai. The project concept created to bring Eastern and Western cultures together, drawing from the rich history of Chinese art and building techniques and combined with modern technology. The pieces designed in the studio express the many possibilities that Dupont Corian has in several areas of the surface’s market.

Young says, “It was ironic that the Corian sample logo is a hexagon, our research into ancient building and construction lead us to similar mathematical constructions, combine this with our modern studio techniques and the machines developed especially for the project and we have a state of the art proj- ect. My brief was to create objects that demonstrate the different applications of the material so I set the space up more as a gallery to give each object its own importance. Fortunately my design office in Hong Kong is experienced in contemporary Asian culture and adept with building computer programs to create the complex structures we designed.

An important feature of the project is the curved wall that pushes the latest 3D CNC technology to its limits with thousands of bricks assembling to make a fluid solid structure. The element is extended to some wall circles that explore the processes’ vertically out of sol- id piece and 3D translucent walls. “Frankly the things I have done for this project are only possible here in Asia, we have had the machinery made to process this project; it will extend into Europe afterwards I hope but for the present I would like to use it architecturally on a larger scale now,” says Young.

The gallery is a walk through experience and one of discovery, we have designed a new high speed train interior, a developing market in China and some contemporary bathrooms and kitchens, the interior will grow over the next 6 months with the introductions of sev- eral elements that will constantly change the visitors experience.

The “DuPontTM Corian® Design Studio” Shanghai serves as the premier platform to demonstrate how DuPontTM Corian® solid surface can be used as inspirational design materials customised for commercial and residential applications. Strolling along the showroom, visitors will be amazed by the superb versatility of Corian® – here it interpreted furniture into its unique style; there it evolves into art pieces of supremacy; and in a few steps forward, you will find a luxurious wall decoration or delicate daily houseware. Corian® adds playful burst into each design, showcasing uniqueness and excel- lence in every aspect.

“Our collective vision was to build a creative work- shop for building innovations, where designers can look, touch, and feel the energy Corian® evokes,” said Mr. Thomas Schuler, President of DuPont Building In- novations. “We hope to leverage on innovative tech- nology to promote leading-edge designs that can best serve lives with exquisiteness.”

“DuPontTM Corian® Design Studio” sets its foothold in Shanghai for its endeavour taken in recent years to develop itself into a city of creativity. With its cre- ative and design industry encompassing five major ar- eas design research and development; architecture; culture and media; lifestyle and consumption; event planning and consulting – Shanghai is becoming the global centre of creative industry, spreading its influ- ence across the world.

DuPont hopes to leverage on the reputation of Corian® in the architect & designer community by turning the “DuPontTM Corian® Design Studio” Shanghai into a platform for interaction and

exchange of ideas, and even for inspiration of unrestrained innovation among the designers. In this regard, creativity from all over the world can effectively serve the Chinese market, while designs from Shanghai and even the entire China can shine on the international stage with confidence.

“The establishment of “DuPontTM Corian® Design Studio” Shanghai is a reassurance of the commit- ment to the Chinese market of DuPont. For a science-based market-oriented company, timely and precise response to the market is the foundation of sustainable development. In order to achieve a better understanding of customer needs, DuPont has rolled out its network in China for R&D and technical services, including its China R&D Center launched in 2005 in Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park. The launch of the “DuPontTM Corian® Design Studio” Shanghai sets up another channel for DuPont to keep abreast of market trends and demands,” said Mr. Doug Muzyka, President of DuPont Greater China. “Hi-tech solutions demanded by the market are virtually practical and fashion-leading as well.”

About DuPontTM Corian® - First marketed as a high performance solution for kitchen and bathroom worktops, DuPontTM Corian® (www.corian.com) is now a leading global brand in superior quality sur- facing materials for design, architecture and furnishing, a solution chosen worldwide by many dozens of thousands of architects, designers and companies and by millions of consumers.

The continuous efforts, the investment and the creativity of DuPont in research and technology, prod- uct innovation, new applications development and marketing have made DuPontTM Corian® a design tool offering exceptional versatility and almost limitless possibilities for producing high quality, effec- tive, functional and reliable solutions addressed to residential, public and commercial environments, both indoor and outdoor. From kitchens to lamps, from bathrooms to the skin of buildings, from tables to furnishing and fashion accessories, to mention just a few. The “magic” of DuPontTM Corian® can be found today in an extremely wide variety of products, systems and objects that everyone uses or experiences in daily life. And the list keeps on growing.

DuPontTM Corian® (the whole range or to specific types) has received important independent certi- fications for its environmental performance (like GreenGuard®, NAHB North American Builders As- sociation, U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED® Green Building Rating System, ISO 14025 Green Choice, Scientific Certification Systems, Ecospecifier). Its hygienic performance has also been certi- fied by prestigious independent institutions (for example, by NSF International, The Royal Institute of Public Health and LGA QualiTest).

See also:

.

Skin by Michael Young and Katrin Olina	Zipte Link by Michael Young	More stories on Michael Young