The Plastreen

Typology : Temporary installation

Location : BIEC, Bangalore

Duration : 18th – 20th Oct, 2024

Team : Chandrakant S Kanthigavi, Veeresh Mutnal, C S Manikrishna

Project Description

The Plastreen = “Plastic + Green” is an installation done for an exhibition in Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, India. The period for which the installation displayed was 3 days.

Exhibitions typically attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, often leaving behind vast amounts of discarded plastic bottles. Our primary goal was to highlight this waste and raise awareness.

We set out to do an interesting structure where the public could enter and interact. One of the main objectives of this installation was to produce ‘zero wastage’.

To raise awareness about the excess use of plastic and to create an interesting interactive installation we designed ‘The Plastreen’.

Idea:

The design symbolizes the tension between plastic overpowering Mother Nature and the resilience of natural spaces where greenery can still thrive.

Exterior : 

Made from discarded plastic bottles, the structure highlights the immense amount of plastic wastage created.

Interior : 

As one enters the structure, they are greeted by a lush green wall that creates a striking contrast with the plastic exterior. This experience is designed to evoke a sense of surprise, inviting visitors to appreciate both nature and the open sky above.

Design :

A 6m tall hyperboloid structure was created which would be open to sky. The exterior is composed of a mass of plastic, while the interior features a green wall, representing the purity of untouched earth. We chose an interesting hyperboloid shape for the structure, where it is sliced at an angle towards east to reveal the green wall. This design also optimizes exposure to morning sunlight from the east. A narrow triangular opening was created to allow a sneak peek inviting visitors. This entrance was wide enough to allow one person at a time.

As one approaches the structure that is infilled with discarded bottles, evoking a ‘sense of alarm’. An indirect entry was given to build up curiosity. As soon as they enter, visitors are overwhelmed by surrounded dense greenery and framed view of the sky above. They are struck by the dense greenery in a small space trying to invoke a feeling of blissfulness and a desire to be with nature.

The plastic used in this project were sourced from waste management, aligning with our commitment to minimizing waste. The structural materials after dismantling were reused at a construction site and the plastic bottles were sent to a local recycling unit.

Images

Drawings