WARP + WEFT : translating textiles into interior architecture - in search for inspiration and continuation of African textile traditions

Abstract

WARP and WEFT is a textile making guild, intricately woven into KNOOP, the proposed Clothing and Consumer Science building for the University of Pretoria. This building is situated in Hatfield next to the railway line, in close proximity to the Gautrain station and Rissik Station. KNOOP was designed in 2008 by Korine Stegmann in fulfilment of her MArch(Prof) at the University of Pretoria. Therefore, the building in which the intervention is proposed is, to date, only an architectural proposal and has not yet been built. The project was initiated due to a fascination with textiles and the relevance of textiles in interior architecture. This fascination with textiles is ascribed to the following: The first intriguing aspect of textiles is the structure and the underlying construction principles of textiles. The second aspect is the unique character of textiles compared to other building materials. Another interesting notion is the current international textile trend and current re-focus on textiles as a construction material after a long period of being neglected. The current hype about textiles is ascribed to the tactile qualities of textiles, which opposes an increasing movement towards virtualism. The raw and organic production process of handmade textiles is desirable and opposes automated production. Similarly to the Arts and Crafts movement, designers are once more interested in handmade products. Fourthly, textiles used in architecture has the intriguing ability to create an architecture which better relates to fashion in terms of fashion’s ability to easily change and adapt; fashion’s fleeting nature. Lastly, handmade textiles of a specific region have the ability to convey the identity of that specific region. This is a crucial ability to resist globalization and monotony in cultural identity. Appropriately, the fascination of this dissertation is with traditional African handmade textiles and its relevance in interior architecture. The contemporary unbuilt building was selected to demonstrate the value of a collaborative approach between an architect and interior architect prior to construction. The analysis of the architectural proposal shows that the interior architect can effectively recognize the strengths and weaknesses of a building from an interior perspective and enhance and improve these aspects. The aim is also to show that two programmes can function collaborative in one building and that intervention is possible within a building with a fixed programme. The site was selected due to the location and framework it falls within. The location of the site allows for exposure due to the pedestrian demand on the site. Also, the site is advantageously located within close proximity to main transportation nodes. The site falls within the extended Arcadia Arts and Cultural Corridor. The vision for this corridor is a lively and multicultural precinct which hosts a variety of arts and cultural facilities. The vision for these facilities is to portray the zest of local culture, especially to those disembarking the Gautrain. The textile making guild, WARP + WEFT is an important project within this precinct, due to the core concept of the guild to celebrate African textiles. The aim of the guild is to produce contemporary woven textiles which portray the identity of traditional African woven textiles. The vision for WARP + WEFT within the precinct is to exhibit textiles, expose the textile making processes and to create a unique African textile experience for both the public and the users of the guild. The interior intervention will celebrate African textiles by demonstrating how textiles are used to solve and embrace aspects identified through the analysis of the architectural proposal. These aspects include acoustic absorption, solar screening, adding softness, texture and colour to an environment predominantly defined by cold, hard, smooth and monotone surfaces, as well as providing versatile branding elements. The use of textiles in the interior intervention introduces the unique design question of how to design with textiles for a textile related programme, opposed to textiles being used for another programme, such as a theatre or a hotel. It is a matter of “textiles for textiles” instead of “textiles for music” or “textiles for sleeping”. The solution to this unique design problem is to differentiate between spaces which celebrate textiles by acting as a background or blank canvas for the exhibition and production of textiles and spaces which celebrate textiles by becoming textile-like. To create these spatial variations, the exclusive use of textiles is not sufficient. Textiles need to be translated into interior architecture which will be achieved through the following five methods: Translation through metaphor, translation through structure, interpretation of actual textiles, engagement through text and the translation of the unique qualities of textiles. Thus, the aim of the investigation is to celebrate textiles through the application of textiles and through the translation of textiles in interior architecture.