Portrait

My obsession with mashrabiyas and anything with the slightest relevence to them is clearly evident in the number of posts published here on this blog about the subject. The latest addition is this installation called Portrait by designers Fredrikson Stallard at Somerset House in London. To me it carries a striking resemblance to the Dairy House located (ironically) in a town called Somerset in the UK.

The structure is constructed out of steel and represents wood grain. Light is introduced to the structure in a wonderful way that creates positive and negative spaces during day and night, an interplay that defines the external characteristics of mashrabiyas as well. In daylight the steel sections that represent the wood grain are the dominant feature. At night, however, the spaces in between will glow in a remarkable yellow illumination, representing the colors of the champagne brand that the installation is created for, Veuve Clicquot.