Details
Type
Bicycle rack for public use
Location
NA
Client
In Roman cities, X marked the intersection of the main roads, the cardo and the decumano. The forum was situated at the crossing. But X also means stop. It is the signature for those who cannot write their name. Strangely, X is both the centre of power and the sign of resistance.
X is where all the forces converge in one point. The point of balance.
As a tectonic principle, X is the most important bracing geometry. It supports our houses and stabilises our bridges.
For our X, we have made use of the great physical and mechanical resistance of Portuguese marbles and limestones to develop an object for everyday urban use: a bicycle rack. The pure geometry of the X emphasises the beautifully irregular patterns of the veins in the stone.
But our marble project is also a political statement. It encourages bicycle use, rather than car traffic, in our cities. It uses a traditionally luxurious material in the service of a public activity.
Economy of means, however, has been an important aspect of the design. We have used as little marble as possible to achieve the necessary stability. Modest in size (45 x 30 cm) and simply assembled out of two flat parts, the X is still strong enough to hold one or two bicycles per module.
Circular perforations in the marble, for securing bicycle chain locks, can also connect one module with another. Each X can be used alone, in a linked line or as part of a loosely organised group.
The perforations are placed at each corner of the module, so it can be placed in any orientation, and it has no upside down – just like the letter X.
Type: Direct commission
Brief: Functional equipment for domestic use (scale : furniture)
Structures for communal use in urban or rural public spaces
Year: 2016-17
Client: Experimenta, Commissioner Guta Moura GuedesX
Dimensions: 467 (600 flat) X 300 mm
Architect: Mia Hägg
Team members: Kim Bjarke, Enrico Demattè
Collage and renderings: Elisabet Sundin, Mari Proll Lien
Graphic Design: Hans Stofregen
Photographer: Maris Mezulis
Text edit: Sara Goldsmith