Edoardo Tresoldi combined sound, projections, landscaping, and fabric with his wire mesh sculptures to create the Gharfa structure in Riyadh.
Gharfa is the first project completed by the interdisciplinary laboratory Studio Studio Studio in collaboration with artist Alberonero, musician Max Magaldi, and garden designer Matteo Foschi from Odd Garden. Designed as a theatrical experience, the structure reaches a height of 26 meters, making it the largest of Tresoldi’s ghost wire mesh sculptures to date.
In the volumetric, cubic arrangement of Gharfa, the freestanding cylindrical columns are inspired by passages. The main entrance is designed as a simplified version of traditional Arab doors, consisting of a geometric cut with a triangular top. The wire mesh is partially filled with cork to reflect the local mudbrick architecture of Diriyah. Similar to Tresoldi's sculpture Simbiosi, which he filled with rocks, the material filling also emphasizes the presence of the structure within the landscape.
The studio states, 'The use of cork expresses a contemporary interpretation of local remnants. The natural quality of the medium is not hidden, but proudly displayed within an overall theatrical approach.' Other aspects of the structure also reference Riyadh's history and architectural culture. Tresoldi placed the carpet, commonly used as flooring in Arab culture, beneath a digitally created ceiling space.
Tresoldi also applies the symmetry characteristic of Arab decor, which can be seen in Foschi’s landscape design. The greenery cascades evenly from the wire mesh walls on opposite sides of the project's central atrium. The translucent fabric walls are supported by a frame made of black columns. A video depicting fire, directed by Tresoldi, is projected onto the white fabric.
Music pieces created by Magaldi play separately in different areas of the Gharfa complex. The central area, where the musical arrangement comes together, is the only place where the full composition can be heard. According to the musician, visitors can experience their own personal sound mix as they move through the installation.
Thanks to the contrasting characteristics of digital and analog, anthropic and natural, geometric and organic forms, Studio Studio Studio designed Gharfa as a fusion of reality and illusion.
Content:İç Mimarlık Dergisi
