In an inventive endeavor for the independent music festival Loud Places, the London and Vienna-based design studio Kren. has unveiled 'Shed,' a captivating, bespoke installation. This project ingeniously repurposes a disused greenhouse, transforming it into a vibrant focal point and a welcoming communal space within the festival grounds, located just a few hours from London. 'Shed' not only alludes to its humble domestic origins but also symbolizes its role as a radiant beacon, drawing festival-goers together and providing an intimate setting for interaction.
As an experiential light sculpture, 'Shed' seamlessly integrates into the festival environment, serving as a gathering spot during the day and morphing into an illuminated enclosure after sunset. The structure's distinctive yellow framework and ethereal translucent panels act as dynamic backdrops and foregrounds, their interplay shifting and blurring as dusk descends. A consistent glow emanates from within, creating an inviting atmosphere. By ingeniously adapting a salvaged greenhouse, Kren. exemplifies its core design philosophy: exploring the transformative capabilities inherent in ordinary items, breathing new life and purpose into them.
Embracing a resourceful approach to design, Kren. showcases the creative potential of working with existing materials, addressing contemporary challenges of resource scarcity. This adaptation reflects the studio's cross-disciplinary ethos. Drawing inspiration from Derek Jarman's intimate greenhouse bed in his 1980s Bankside loft, 'Shed' reinterprets the greenhouse archetype as a sanctuary for closeness and congregation. Traditionally associated with plant cultivation, here its function evolves to encompass gathering and enclosure. Much like Jarman's personal intervention, 'Shed' establishes both a central landmark and a secluded space within the vastness of the festival meadow. By foregoing the greenhouse's typical thermal glazing, the project highlights the fundamental yet effective structural qualities of the form, rather than its heat-retaining properties.
The greenhouse, in this context, embodies the essence of a primitive shelter, while simultaneously functioning as a mesmerizing light installation. Its inherent structure provides both form and protection, within which customized industrial lights are strategically placed. As night descends, these lights cause the translucent thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) panels to become backlit, transforming the entire structure into a luminous, diffused screen. Lights, suspended just below eye-level along the roof ridge, effectively delineate the interior space. Consequently, when the space is inhabited after dark, the silhouettes of people animate the walls, projecting a soft glow outwards towards the rest of the festival. Complementing the adapted aluminum frame and custom lighting, PVC curtains, typically utilized in industrial cooling systems, define the entry points, secured with cable ties. This thoughtful material selection pays homage to the agricultural legacy of the greenhouse while also capturing the innovative and DIY spirit characteristic of music festivals and club culture.
This innovative installation by Kren. skillfully recontextualizes a commonplace structure, turning a reclaimed greenhouse into an engaging, luminous, and communal haven at the heart of the Loud Places festival. It demonstrates a commitment to sustainable design, creative problem-solving, and the power of light to shape and define space, offering a memorable experience for all who encounter it.