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Dica

Artefact

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Comments
Innovation
Functionality
Creativity
Eco-Social Impact
Total
JURY VOTES
Bar
7.17
6.87
7.18
5.27
6.62
Ad de Hond
Ad de Hond Founder and Creative Director at ADH.design
6.48
7.03
7.06
7.08
6.91
Darren Xu
Darren Xu Founder and CEO at Spider Creative
6.06
7.39
5.89
8.23
6.89
Zhongli Wang
Zhongli Wang Partner at Catanian
6.65
6.75
6.74
5
6.29
Katie Kasabalis
Katie Kasabalis Cofounder at Kasawoo
6.68
7.81
5.91
6.07
6.62
Asha Sairam
Asha Sairam Principal at Studio Lotus
5
6.8
4.5
5
5.33
Mauro Brigham
Mauro Brigham Founder and Creative Director at ncbham
5
7
5.5
5
5.63
Mark Bithrey
Mark Bithrey Founder and Creative Director at B3 Designers
6
6
8
6
6.5
Philip Staszewski
Philip Staszewski Partner Architect at Ivy Studio
6
7
7.5
6
6.63
Simon Schmolling
Simon Schmolling Head of Architecture at Meiré und Meiré
5
6.07
5
6.17
5.56
Daniel Kaven
Daniel Kaven Co-Founder at William Kaven Architecture
7.91
7.57
7.81
5
7.07
Andrew Martin
Andrew Martin Founder and Creative Director at AMD Interior Architecture
5
7
6
6
6
Pengzhan Du
Pengzhan Du Chief Architect at Engineering Design Management Center of Bureau of public works of Shenzhen Municipality
6
6.5
6
6.2
6.18
Steve Lastro
Steve Lastro CEO and Future of Living Advisor at Linq-X
5
6
5.5
6
5.63
Lindsay Roth
Lindsay Roth Design Director at Gensler
7
7
6.5
7
6.88
Designer
Client
Dica
Floor area
120 ㎡
Completion
2023
Social Media
Instagram
Lighting
Lighting

Story of an eight-meter Cantilevered table 

– Exploring the structure and scale-

An urge to resist gravity and to build higher and wider space has been one of the driving forces of the history of architecture. To build up stories is to fight gravity and thus the advance of architecture is to go against challenges nature poses. Building up against the force of nature truly came into words when working on this project. DICA, a private bar and a dining place, was a step we took to broaden our perspective of architecture and design.

When working for commercial spaces, we often think that our job is more like an architect or even an urban planner than a designer. Because many needs are becoming increasingly complex. For example, the demand was to provide areas that serves public purposes, other to fulfill private needs and areas to process products and services. Moreover, we had to take into consideration the plans for efficient movement and divisions of space that support all. We have believed that all of these fundamentals are closer to the essence of the Masterplan than decorative elements.

DICA used to be an old building that was used as a storage, and adding various materials and walls did not go with the space. We wanted to 'architect' one distinct structure in the space that can separate areas but also can serve various purposes: a bar and a table that could also work as a division. Adapting an intuitive design that can identify the space not having to add any explanations was the key.

We remember seeing cantilevered buildings in photographs and marveling at them. At the same time, I also remember being surprised when we saw it in real life, because it was so unexpectedly ordinary. Perhaps it was because the cantilevered building was so huge, beyond someone’s perceived scale, and when we saw it in person, it felt as if it was natural, not marvelous.

Standing on the shoulders of the giants, we wanted to add a pinch of imagination:
to bring the cantilever structure into smaller scale that is tangible.

“Structure and scale are all that matter” was the motto we rooted from. The eight-meter-long cantilevered table in the side of the floor captures customers attention. The table seems unrealistic even more than the huge cantilevered building in that we can perceive it in its own scale. The science and engineering behind this floating table will inspire and attract customers to enjoy the structural experience at DICA.