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Metropolis Editors, Natural Habitat, sustainability, sustainable architecture

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May 16, 2004

The ICFF Connector: A Whale of a Time?

“Most people liken it to traveling through an animal, and someone said it looks like the inside of a whale,” said MMW’s Magne Wiggen, of this year’s ICFF connector. An inflated, white translucent tube with orange ribbing, the installation-slash-construction eases visitors through the passageway between the ICFF’s main floor and pavilion annex. It was designed […]

By: Criswell Lappin

“Most people liken it to traveling through an animal, and someone said it looks like the inside of a whale,” said MMW’s Magne Wiggen, of this year’s ICFF connector. An inflated, white translucent tube with orange ribbing, the installation-slash-construction eases visitors through the passageway between the ICFF’s main floor and pavilion annex. It was designed and built by MMW, an eight-person interdisciplinary team based in Oslo, Norway.

If you’ve never been inside an esophagus, the connector is a pretty close estimation. The fabric is lit from behind and glows warmly, while the bright orange ribbing—made of the same fabric used in life jackets and aquatic survival suits (not that a whale would need such a thing)—provides splashes of color. Moody, piped-in electronica sounds also add to the experience.

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