HARLEY-DAVIDSON KOREA

_selected for InputOutput11 magazine 2008 publication_

Spring 2007, Operating under the group name corner architects in collaboration with Satoru Sugihara and syllodesign, we developed the schematic proposal for the Harley-Davidson Korea project. The main idea was coming from the Harley-Davidson engine sound as the driving force to express the spirit of riding and the territorialization of its new site. The concept comes from the idea that Harleys are machines of public-show, a medium for self-expression and through the level of noise and its vibration to justify the value of its own existence, as an ability to infiltrate other people's spheres; this instigates the cultures surrounding the machine.

Through globalization and mass media, Harley-Davidson has reached an ironic presence in Korea, where motorcycles are viewed as low-class "logistic-mules" or "gangster" activity, as opposed to the legendary cultures of American Freedom Spirit. By way of critique on the fact that, like any other american chains, (i.e. McDonalds, TGIF, 711 etc), Harley-Davidson stores are also self-replicating templates all around the world, we challenged the notion of uber-commericalism by using the "Harley-noise" as a vector to drive the performative design of the project, the rider's own "radiation" to affect the site itself, and disintegrating the generic store template to mutate into the Sound Canopy that evolves its form according the the inputs of its users and environment. It doesn't fall into a immediately recognizable logo, but functioning as a blur facade of the brand.

The interface allowed us to observe the deformation of the canopy when injected with the engine vibration: as a prototype and diagram for this project.


Interactive Sound Canopy - [Interface Demo]

interactive software by Satoru Sugihara


Canopy Models











renderings by Danny Bravo

Thu, May 24, 2007  Permanent link