The idea is to die young as late as possible. — Ashley Montagu — Friday April 24th — —

“What art does — maybe what it does most completely — is tell us, make us feel that what we think we know, we don’t. There are whole worlds around us that we’ve never glimpsed.” Greil Marcus — Friday April 24th — —

I love listening. It is one of the only spaces where you can be still and moved at the same time. — Nayyirah Waheed — Friday April 24th — —

Fountain Flow

Earlier this year, the Shanghai-based design studio Atelier I-N-D-J teamed up with CTHM Architects to create this extraordinary project named ‘Fountain Flow’ for the Fountain Restaurant in Shanghai. Set within the bustling lifestyle district of Shanghai’s Xintandi, the installation for the RIBA’s ‘Shanghai Windows’ is a dramatic public centre piece designed to re-connect the public space with its immediate surroundings. Receiving over 1.000.000 visitors each month, Xintiandi is a pedestrian thoroughfare lined with bars, restaurants, shops and cafe’s that is both a destination and a distraction. The site is located at the heart of Xintaindi yet just off the beating pulse; at the rear of a courtyard where most passers by do just that, pass by. The aim was to re-energize this particular area of the courtyard and with it bring a renewed focus, enlivening the Fountain restaurant with a striking installation that would disrupt the usual thoroughfare and draw visitors to this part of the complex. We love this extraordinary design.

Delicate ethereal strands spill from the restaurants upper storey towards ‘Fountains’ namesake set within the courtyard below. 30,000 metres of translucent cord refract and reflect light giving a shimmering impression of water cascading across the buildings face. This simple yet bold installation playfully changes appearance as caught light, both natural and artificial, refracts and reflects across and through it, creating a veil like curtain to an otherwise tired and dated facade.

Atelier I-N-D-J was formed in 2009 by Ian Douglas-Jones. In that year Ian graduated as a Master of Architecture from the Royal College of Art London. Graduating with a distinction for both thesis and dissertation he was subsequently nominated for the Royal Institute of British Architects Presidents Silver medal. He also won the Conran Foundation Award that year and the New London Architecture Prize as well as securing a Solo exhibition at London’s Building Centre. In 2006 Ian graduated with first class honours and was nominated for the Royal Institute of British Architects Presidents Bronze medal by The Birmingham School of Architecture.

The company is involved with a diverse range of projects – from interiors to art objects – a diversity which is driven by Ian thus displaying his skill and versatility as a polymath designer; with commissions and collaborations with Swarovski, Lane Crawford Asia, The Victoria & Albert Museum London, The Urban Harvest China, The Melbourne Design Festival and the world famous Ice Hotel. Ian’s art output has recently been shown at Aynhoe Park London and solo show ‘Infinite Black’ at The Bund 18 Shanghai. Collaborations include work with Ben Rousseau, SuperNatureDesign and international graffiti pioneer INSA, UK Architects CTHM and the Royal institute of British Architects – RIBA. Ian has been internationally published and has practiced globally from the UK and Europe to New Zealand and Australia with work spanning all corners of the globe.

For more beautiful work by Atelier I-N-D-J see here.