A wooden free-standing tower structure is placed in the Victoria & Albert Museum’s National Library staircase hall, lining with the existing pillars. The visitor is invited to choose an alternative, literature-filled descend towards the library. One is able to select an interesting book and withdraw to sit and read it in a peaceful one-person reading space in the core of the tower. Inside the reading space will be installed a reading light. This light will shine outwards through the structure, casting scattered light on the surrounding gallery walls, inviting readers like night lantern lures moths.
Each floor can have a different literate theme. The books are second-hand/ recycled/ would be otherwise destroyed, and will be collected from publishers, libraries and universities during 2009/2010. We suggest also that each visitor can take one book with so that the installation is stripped to a bare structure in the course of the exhibition, and people will have a lasting memory / souvenir of the work. This installation is made of wood, pre-cut in another location and installed on site.
Outside only white paper, wood as well, is shown of the books, creating a unified wall surface. Interior is a contrasting collage of colors, titles and themes. To learn of the contents of the books, one has to enter the tower.
CREDITS
Client: Victoria & Albert Museum
Curator: Abraham Thomas
Project administration: Elizabeth Capon
Design team: Sami Rintala, Dagur Eggertsson and Vibeke Jenssen
Footprint area: 3,15 m x 3,15 m = 9,9 m2
Height: 7,75 m ( 3 floors )
Materials: Wood – 6,16 m3
Sponsors: UPM Kymmene – wood materials; Norwegian Ministry of Foreign affairs / Norsk Form – travels; Luxo – lighting; Norwegian embassy in London – books; Dominic Winter Book Auctions - books Richard Booth's Bookshop - books Vintage Books - books
Technical support: Dr. Techn Kristoffer Apeland A/S
Building team: Mats Odin Rustøy, Dagur Eggertsson, Sami Rintala, Pasi Aalto, Jon Gunnar Akason, Fabricio Fernandes, Harriet Brisley, Mathew Donnachie and Darius Wilson.
Additional help: Vibeke Jenssen, Kaori Watanabe, Naofumi Namba, Ruby Wilson, Molly Odhiambo, Laura Shouthall, Erland Flaterud and Anne Ulseth.
Presentation model: Per Sølvsberg
