Chinese firm Wutopia Lab conducts an architectural experiment that explores and challenges contemporary notions of gender with a set of colored buildings. The installation is set up to provide an insight of "the contrasting roles of men and women in the kitchen." The houses in Shenzhen, Hong Kong, are monochromatically decorated in all-pink or all-blue. Each of the colored buildings embraces stigmatic and imposing masculine and feminine energies. While the candy pink home is filled with flowers, the dark blue construction houses bacon and wine. The renovation project was commissioned by the organizers of the Bi-City Biennale of Urbanism/Architecture.
The location of the colored buildings is within an urban slum of the city, hence the bright aesthetic of Wutopia Lab's work really stands out amidst the grit and plain surroundings.
Photo Credits: CreatAR Images
Gender-Exploring Colored Buildings
Wutopia Lab Paints Two Houses in Pink and Blue in Shenzhen
Trend Themes
1. Gender-bending Architecture - Opportunity for architectural firms to challenge gender norms and create innovative, exploratory designs that challenge societal expectations.
2. Monochromatic Design - Opportunity for interior designers to embrace monochromatic color schemes and explore the different emotions and energies each color can evoke.
3. Urban Revitalization Through Art - Opportunity for city planners and art organizations to use public art installations to revitalize and bring attention to urban slums and neglected areas.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - Architectural firms can leverage the ideas presented by Wutopia Lab to create gender-bending structures and push the boundaries of traditional design.
2. Interior Design - Interior designers can explore monochromatic color schemes to create unique and thought-provoking spaces that evoke different emotions and energies.
3. Public Art - City planners and art organizations can create public art installations to bring attention to urban slums and neglected areas, while also uplifting and reviving the surrounding communities.