The Folding Boat Kikowaena Kaiaulu by Xuechen Chen

The Folding Boat Kikowaena Kaiaulu by Xuechen Chen is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award Kala in Hoʻolālā Manaʻo a me Hoʻolālā Kuhi Competition Category.

KalaManaʻo· 2024

The Folding Boat Kikowaena Kaiaulu

by Xuechen Chen

Client: Xuechen Chen

A' Design Award Kala Winner in Manaʻo Category

282,924

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #160482

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About The Folding Boat Kikowaena Kaiaulu

ʻO Ka Waʻa Pepe, ma kahakai o ka Muliwai o Harlem, he wahi hana like ʻole e lawelawe ana i hale hoʻe waʻa no ke kula kiʻekiʻe o ka kaiaulu, he hale waihona puke liʻiliʻi, a me ka hale hōʻikeʻike i hoʻolaʻa ʻia no ka hoʻe waʻa makēkē. Me ka kaupoku metala pepe, hoʻokaʻawale kēia hale i kona wahi loko ma ka hui hemolele ʻana o nā paia me nā kaupoku. I hoʻonoho ʻia ma kahi hui pū ʻana o nā ʻāpana moʻolelo a me nā ʻāpana hou, mālama ka hoʻonohonoho pololei ʻana o nā mea āpau i nā polokalamu, ka neʻe ʻana, a me ka ʻāina kulanakauhale.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Kala

Ua lanakila ka hoʻolālā The Folding Boat Kikowaena Kaiaulu i ka A' Design Award Kala, he ʻike hoʻohanohano nui loa i hāʻawi ʻia i nā hoʻolālā kiʻekiʻe loa, nani a kupaianaha. He mau hana ʻālohilohi loa a hana noʻeau nui nā lanakila Kala e hōʻike ana i ka loea, ka makakoho a me ka ʻoi aku o ka noʻonoʻo o kā lākou poʻe hoʻolālā. Manaʻo ʻia ʻo ka hoʻolālā The Folding Boat Kikowaena Kaiaulu he hana kupaianaha, kūlana ʻoi aku, ʻoihana kiʻekiʻe a hou loa. ʻO kēia hoʻolālā i lanakila i ka A' Design Award Kala he mea hoʻokumu kūpono loa, mahalo ʻia e hāʻawi i ka pōmaikaʻi a hoʻoneʻe i nā palena o ka hana noʻeau, ka ʻepekema, ka hoʻolālā a me ka ʻenehana. He mea i ʻeleu ʻia e nā mea he nui ka hoʻolālā The Folding Boat Kikowaena Kaiaulu e hoʻāla i ka makemake, lawe mai i nā manaʻo maikaʻi a hoʻāla i ka kamahaʻo a me ka mahalo.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: The Folding Boat, located along the shore of the Harlem River, is a multifunctional space serving as a rowing facility for the community college, a small library, and a museum dedicated to sport rowing. Featuring a folded metal roof, this structure defines its interior space by seamlessly blending walls into ceilings. Positioned at the convergence of historical and modern districts, meticulous placement of elements respects programs, circulation, and the urban landscape.
Dimensions & Packaging: 18,000sf
Tags: culture, community center, wood, metal, concrete
Production Technology: metal, glass and wood panel
Design Challenge: The multiversity of the programs and the materials.
Research: This research abstract explores the integration of folding as architectural elements across various scales, experiences, and programs within the context of the Rowing Boat project. Serving as a sport museum, rowing boat facility for a local college, and a community center for the neighborhood, the project examines how folding techniques can be applied to create dynamic spaces and functional designs. Through case studies and design explorations, this research delves into the innovative use of folding to enhance architectural aesthetics, spatial experiences, and programmatic functionalities within a multi-functional facility.
Inspiration: The project's inspiration stems from the unique topography of the site, characterized by varying slopes. This distinctive landscape presents an opportunity to mimic and enhance the site's features through the use of folding in the design. The folded elements not only echo the site's topography but also contribute to the project's special aesthetic qualities.
Project Duration: Unbult, Bronx, Newyork
Operation Flow: The Folding Boat project draws inspiration from the site's unique topography, using folding in design to echo its slopes and enhance aesthetics. Located along the Harlem River, it's a rowing facility, small library, and sport museum. The folded metal roof blends spaces, respecting historical context and urban landscape. This research explores folding's integration in various scales, programs, and experiences, enhancing architectural aesthetics and functionality.
Team Members: Xuechen Chen
Image Credits: XUECHEN CHEN