MDes Interior Design School of Design
Annu Antony
I am an Interior Designer with a preference for designs that are both aesthetic and functional. I like to do various different types of projects rather than do the same type over and over. Currently obsessed with boba tea
Contact
Spilled Brews
My site is situated at 123 Sauchiehall Street and currently a retail space called The Gifts of Glasgow. The main typology for this site is entertainment. Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention of the viewer and piques their interest or gives them pleasure or delight. It can be an idea, a task or one of the many variations that
have developed over the years to fulfil this purpose such as books,
games or film. In terms of this project, I see entertainment as an
activity that can amuse someone.
Derived from this main theme, I have been given two sub-themes: myth
and dialogue. A myth is a traditional story that is written in a similar
fashion to actual historical events that serves to explain the viewpoint
of a people or explain a certain event such as creation. The myth of my
site at its earliest is its time as tearoom and to bring this myth to life
in a modern-day setting, my intervention will be a tearoom that offers
extended activities pertaining to tea such as picking ingredients and
creating a personal blend that can be enjoyed on site or taken away.
Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people that is an
exchange of ideas and opinions. My proposal serves to act as a space
that encourages dialogue through the objects and activities found
within. The process of picking, blending, making and drinking the
tea will be an immersive process tailored to each individual and
encourages visitors to explore the space, ask questions and give
feedback in a natural manner. The experience serves as a strong
icebreaker for those who are not sure on how to start the conversion
and tea time chats are a traditional way to enjoy conversation.
This also connects to my choice in the naming of this intervention
“Spilled Brews” which comes from the phrase “spill the tea” which is
used when sharing gossip, and brews is a word that can be used for
1 Stephen Bates and Anthony J. Ferri, ‘What’s Entertainment? Notes Toward
a Definition’, Studies in Popular Culture, 33.1 (2010), pp. 1–20.
drinks such as beer, tea and coffee. The act of making tea can also be
called brewing.
I have also chosen a third sub-theme which is immersion. Immersion
is the act of dipping into a substance and metaphorically may be the
act of completely plunging into a task or activity. The proposal seeks
to create immersion by entertaining each of the five senses in a way
that helps the user engage with the activity.
Sight – Natural and warm lighting is used to create a comforting space
filled with natural materials and greenery.
Touch – There are many tactile sensations to experience in the process
of making your own tea.
Smell – The scent of fresh plants and dried spices blending to create a
favourite tea blend.
Sound – The music from the stage that acts as white sound and sets
the atmosphere without being a focal point due the voiles blocking the
players which encourages conversion.
Taste – Delightful blends and tasty snacks shared with loved ones and
friends.
The aim of this space is to experience tea from different angles to what
is accessible to people normally in their homes and in the process, slow
down and create genuine bonds with those around them.
Extinction?
In this project the main theme and concept is “The
Cabinet of Curiosities”. The cabinet of curiosities, otherwise know as Wunderkammer or Wonder-rooms in
Germany were encyclopedic collections in the Renaissance times with no defined boundaries. As the word
cabinet originally referred to a room these Wunderkammer’s were the early versions of Museums collected and
curated by rich and wealthy aristocrats and merchants
in the sixteenth century.
These cabinets showcased the owners’ hobbies and interests and were served as social devices that established
and maintained their ranks in the hierarchy. There are
two main types of cabinets; one of aesthetic value and
exotics by the wealthy and the other of scientific purpose by the scholars. However both showcased their
curiosity and served as a form of entertainment.1 The
keywords from this concept are: curation, speculation
and object.
I will be exploring the concept of “The Cabinet of Curiosities” in a speculative exploration of spaces where humans and non-humans intersect and interact. In context of the site, The Firhill Doocot, I will explore my
theme from a non-human perspective. I will examine
the different elements that intersect and pass by the site
through observations during site visits, photos, sound
recordings and further research through books and the
Internet.
I will define a real world issue that will be explored in
the context of the site and other activities such as book
group, workshops and my own research and design a
space that brings awareness, reflect on and take action
on this issue for our shared future.
The project inspires us to challenge the boundaries between human and the non-human use this space as narrative medium that communicates the experiences of
human users and the non-human forces that surround
them.
Making Do
In a fast-paced world when the most desirable items are being updated constantly my goal is to re-connect people with their culture for a sustainable future. Introducing indigenous craftsmanship into the modern-day interiors in Urban Scotland may provide sustainable solutions that help combat ecological loss, resource wastage, and promote culture and individuality. I will be looking at texts by those such as Tim Ingold, Timothy Morton and Glenn Adamson to form the theoretical structure for this research. This study investigates different indigenous Scottish crafting techniques and how they can and are currently being used within the design industry. However, there may be challenges such as the high labour cost, lack of awareness, and easy access to less sustainable materials which block development despite the beneficial ecological and cultural prospects of indigenous craftsmanship. Future research should aim to overcome these issues and delve deeper into indigenous solutions to design on a worldwide scale to promote sustainability and culture.
