Curtain Call

Curtain Call | Milan, Italy | 2021
[Claudio C. Araya + Iga Majorek + Yahya Abdullah]

The installation is a result of the collaboration by the international team composed of Claudio Araya (Chile), Yahya Abdullah (Canada) and Iga Majorek (Poland) in collaboration with AMDL Circle, the architecture studio led by Michele De Lucchi (architects of record).

Commissioned to design the facade for Silk-FAW’s grand reveal of the Hongqi S9 electric supercar at the Fuorisalone 2021 design week, the proposal poses the question of the reveal itself. A reveal beyond merely the contained object, but the project of an unknowing future, both in its abstraction and ambiguity; the horizon is the surrealist’s playground.

Both elusive in mystery and sustainable in constructability with the main fabric sourced from recycled ocean plastics, the facade invited guests from around the world to peer into the future of the Silk-FAW electric supercar technology. With reference to classical theatre, the closing and opening of acts allow for visitors to step foot into the unknown.

The project was completed in collaboration with world renowned Italian car designer Walter de Silva, the designer of the Hongqi S9 as well as other notable designers such as Lamborghini, Audi, Volkswagen, Alpha Romeo and SEAT. The facade set the stage for a reveal for an electric future, where luxury and sustainability propose synonymy.

“Silk-FAW is committed to supporting young people and new generations by creating an environment where everyone can work together and in harmony. For us it is a source of pride, the company’s values and objectives in installations and works of art, and we are pleased to be able to offer them a platform that allows them to enhance and publicly display their work. “- Katia Bassi, Managing Director Silk-FAW.

The exhibition plays the role of the grand reveal into this promising future which is being shaped and shaping our perception of what an electric car can promise; the uncertain realm where the productive and the high performance may leap reshaping our understanding of the electric vehicle.

The site exists as a post-industrial courtyard with a monotonous facade language repeating through the neighborhood. The industrial tower remains as a mark of the past, one which will compose in the background of the facade installation which presents itself as the face of mystery and presentation to the courtyard.

The strategy behind the proposal starts by creating an elegant facade that represents the identity of Silk Faw and ultimately presents the grand reveal of the S9. The facade becomes a mysterious moment of entry which also serves in maintaining the logistical demands of COVID 19 friendly exhibition circulation requirements.

The roof of the existing building becomes an extension of the facade and serves in distilling “The Grand Reveal” of the interior exhibition, while the visitors remain eager to discover the automobile inside. The interior threshold is framed by the modular system, allowing for a flexible circulation while meandering the visitors through an interior field, reminiscent of the Motor Valley’s rural landscape. Visitors smoothly weave in and out of the facade entry point, with options of experiencing various characters of the facade. Text description by the architects.