Disappear into the air
International Competition for Concept Design of Beijing City Landmark 2008 / China

historical powder

This is the monumental tower for Beijing Olympic, consists of the powder which is shaved from the surface of the traditional buildings

Beijing is one of the most important cities which leave historical sites in the landscape.
I appeared the textures of the genuine materials of the traditional building because I thought it was the effective advertisement which appeals to the citizen and the worldwide.
I also thought it leaded to the urban restoration activities.
The shaved powder is dyed into 5 colors, the symbol colors of the Olympics.
It was floating and changing the whole surface.
The program of the monument was divided into 4 parts in a time span, from the advertisement term to the closing ceremony.
For the advertisement term, the powder of 5 colors and that of wax are mixed and accumulated in the grass cylinder like an hourglass until the opening ceremony.
By the opening ceremony, it is completed as the Olympic flame platform, which has been filled with the powder.
In the opening ceremony, the grass cylinder is taken apart, and the platform is fired.
Through the Olympic term, it melts and gets smaller and smaller.
In the closing ceremony, there is nothing but the original townscape.

I wanted to realize the landmark which changes in time axis of the Olympic, one of the greatest events in the world, and finally disappear into the air.