北京汇文中学是一所有着近150年历史的京城名校。她由美国教会在1871年建立。在学校交由中国人主办后，革命的星星之火也在汇文埋下了火种。在她的校史中涌现出了三十多位科学院院士和二十多位爱国革命英雄。2018年，在新主教学楼即将落成之际，琢磨琢磨接到学校委托，设计并施工完成了两个主要的校园装置艺术。几经周折，经过慎重的安全论证和技术测试，两个装置艺术于2020年秋落成。区别于传统的设计事务所，琢磨琢磨是设计师与工程师共同组成的，从创意到实现的企业级解决方案提供商，为企业提供涉及品牌，产品，会议，空间等领域的深度服务。
Beijing Huiwen Middle School is a prestigious school in Beijing with a history of nearly 150 years; it was founded by an American Christian church. Seeds of revolution were planted in the school after being managed by Chinese leaders. Over its long history, there produced more than 30 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and more than 20 patriotic revolutionary heroes. In 2018, ZOMOZOMO was commissioned by the school to design and construct two major campus installation art pieces when the new main academic building was about to be completed. Overcoming many difficulties, both were accomplished in the autumn of 2020 after careful safety demonstrations and technical tests. Unlike traditional design firms, ZOMOZOMO is an enterprise solution company that works from creation to achievement in the fields of brands, products, spaces, and events. Our team members come from multidisciplinary backgrounds—primarily design and engineering. We are never limited to fancy design drawings. We believe successful brands should be delivered to and engage with their audiences across every channel.
▼前⼴场装置“⼭海”，“Shanhai” in the Front Square © 周涵滔
这两个装置艺术位于由学校主校门、前广场和主教学楼定义的中轴线上，是在学生入校出校的必经之路上。设计这两个装置，归根结底是设计学校师生及访客们的入校体验。如何能够让初次到访者体会到学校文化带来的仪式感，如何能让每日踏入学校的学生们看到装置在四季流转、在不同光影下的不同侧面，是本作设计的思考原点。“融汇天下文化之精华谓之汇文”，这是汇文中学的名字由来。学校期待两个装置艺术能够创造性的，艺术性的呈现学校文化的多元性和包容性。传统的古今融合或者中西融合的所谓设计，经常是简单的折中主义手法，将不同风格的手法排列到一起。而琢磨琢磨在本作中尝试探讨的，是灵活运用当代的技术手段和设计手法，表现穿越历史的中国意向，从而体现出汇文文化中融汇中西、融汇古今的气魄。同时与新古典主义风格的主教学楼形成和谐对话。
The two installations are located on the central axis defined by the main school gate, front square, and main academic building, which students must pass to enter and leave the school. Essentially, the two installations are designed for the experience of teachers, students, and visitors when entering the school. The design originated from the question of how to make first-time visitors experience the sense of ritual brought by the school culture and how to give the students who step into the school every day the experience of different aspects of the installations under various lights and shadows during the four seasons. “To integrate the cultural essence from all over the world” is the origin of the name of Huiwen in Chinese. The installation pieces creatively and artistically show the diversity and inclusiveness of the school culture. The traditional design method that integrates ancient and modern, Eastern and Western is often a simple eclectic approach that combines different styles and techniques. However, what ZOMOZOMO tried to explore in this project was the flexible use of contemporary techniques and design methods to express Chinese features throughout history, in order to reflect the spirit of merging Chinese and Western, ancient and modern in Huiwen’s culture, meanwhile forming a harmonious conversation with the main neoclassical-style teaching building.
▼概念图，concept drawing © 琢磨琢磨科技（北京）有限公司
在概念思考阶段，山，海，宇宙，天空，文字，历史等宏大意向组成了主创设计师王斯旻心目中的奇幻场景。入校前广场的雕塑取名“山海”。站在校门之外，校门框景之中，山海装置与校园立面既呼应又冲突着。群山蜿蜒向上，节奏自然，倒影和云天一起投在黑色的有着数学韵律的“海”上。在她的背后，节奏规律、柱式整齐的教学楼立面如规整的网格一般与山势交错。山海装置中山势的形态来源于中华文化中的三座有着非同意义的山峰：象征着绝对巅峰的珠穆朗玛峰，象征着历史与传承的泰山，与象征着红色与革命的井冈山。而这些山峰的意向也暗合了汇文人追求卓越、继承文化和发扬红色传统的精神。在由经过镜面处理的石材构成的“海”上，我们能够看到山和建筑的倒影。自由的海的形式受图形Op-Art Silkscreen启发，是波纹与浪的结合。山和海共同组成的装置体现着汇文人的格局和气魄。
▼（左）“⼭海”雕塑的形式和材料的⼩尺度打样测试，（右）Op-Art Silkscreen by Victor Vasarely, 1967 © 琢磨琢磨科技（北京）有限公司 (left) Small-scale Prototype of Form and Material of “Shanhai” Sculpture, (right) Op-Art Silkscreen by Victor Vasarely, 1967
In the conceptual thinking stage, mountains, sea, universe, sky, Chinese characters, history, and other grand indications constituted a fantasy scene in the mind of principal designer Wang Simin. The sculpture in the school’s front square is called “Shanhai.” Framed by the school gate, it both echoes and conflicts with the facade. Mountains meander upward in a natural cadence, and their reflection casts on the mathematically rhythmed black “sea” along with the sky. Behind the sculpture, the columned facade of the academic building stands neatly as a grid, interacting with the mountains. The form of the mountains in the Shanhai installation comes from three peaks with extraordinary significance in Chinese culture: Mount Qomolangma, symbolizing the absolute peak; Mount Tai, symbolizing history and heritage; and the Jinggang Mountains, symbolizing the Red Revolution. The peaks also indicate the spirit of Huiwen students and teachers pursuing excellence, inheriting culture, and carrying on the traditional red culture. On the “sea” made of mirrored stone, we can see the reflection of mountains and buildings. The free sea is inspired by a graphic op-art silkscreen. The installation, which is composed of mountains and sea, embodies the mindset and spirit of Huiwen.
▼“山海”鸟瞰，aerial view of “Shanhai” © 周涵滔
为了让每天来到学校的学生们都收获新的体验，各种材料和工艺被创新性地使用在了作品之中，以增加作品对于环境的敏感性。对于“山海”装置，我们采用镜面不锈钢多层拉丝技术，在焊接定型后，顺山势进行不同细度的手工拉丝，既保证了作品的反光复杂度，又形成了山势的复杂细度。校园前广场的地下是一个音乐厅，为了维持结构的安全稳定，雕塑需要保持较小的重量。同时围绕着不同造型工艺，我们在较小的尺度也做许多有关材料和形式的探讨。我们通过树脂3D打印的方式去测试雕塑的形体，然后通过倒模和手工冷作的方式去打样测试不同材质带来的不同的工艺感觉。
We creatively adopted various materials and crafts in this work to increase the sensitivity of environmental feedback and provide students with new experiences every day. For the “Shanhai” installation, we used mirrored stainless steel and multilayer wire drawing technology. Along with welding, we applied manual wire drawing using wires of different fineness along the mountains, which not only ensures the reflective sensitivity of this work, but also forms the complexity and fineness of the mountains. Because there is a concert hall under the front square, the sculpture needed to be lightweight to maintain the safety and stability of the structure. Meanwhile, we held many discussions around different modeling techniques and regarding materials and forms on a smaller scale. We tested the sculptural form by resin 3D printing, and then we made a proof through reverse molding and handmade cold work to test the different texture of different materials.
▼近景，镜面不锈钢材质形成倒影，closer view, mirror stainless steel material forming reflection © 周涵滔
走进教学楼大门，在中厅上方悬挂的“星汇”装置由三组各81个、共243个笔画组成。每个笔画均取自中国历代仁人志士的重要手迹，如苏轼的《赤壁赋》，又如毛主席的“星星之火可以燎原”。
When entering the academic building, you can see the “Xinghui” installation, which consists of three groups of 81 strokes, a total of 243 strokes, hanging above the central nave. Each stroke is taken from the important calligraphy of great Chinese men with lofty ideals throughout history, such as “The Red Cliff Ode” by Su Shi and “A Single Spark Can Start a Prairie Fire” by Chairman Mao.
▼从室外望向中厅，view from exterior to central nave © 周涵滔
这些笔画悬挂于空中，反射变幻着不同的色彩。而天花板上的反光镜面又将笔画的颜色反射，延伸着装置的高度。当我们走到学校校徽前，回首眺望，利用视觉错觉的原理，在这个唯一的观察点上，这些笔画在空间上就组成了由蔡元培题写的汇文校训“智仁勇”。这个体验序列的设计意在让来访者由远及近、由暗及明地完成对汇文文化仪式感的体验过程。
These strokes hang in the air, reflecting and changing colors. The reflector on the ceiling reflects the color of the strokes, extending the height of the installation. Walking to the school badge and looking back, we used the principle of perspective illusion at the only observation point where these strokes spatially form the Huiwen school motto, “Wisdom, Humanity, and Courage,” inscribed by Cai Yuanpei. This sequence was designed to provide visitors with a ritual experience of Huiwen culture from far to near, and dark to light.
▼汇文校训“智仁勇”，”Wisdom, Humanity, and Courage” © 周涵滔
对于“星汇”装置，为了达到视觉错觉的完美效果，每一根钢丝都要求达到毫米级的定位精度。基于编程模拟，我们精确地定位了各个笔画的平面位置和吊挂长度，并对每个笔画进行了数字编号，以在安装时能完全准确地实现预期的设计效果。每个笔画由两个挂点固定，工艺上对这些挂点要求也是极高的，它们要同时保证耐久安全和尽量隐形简单。而且由于243个笔画都是唯一的，所以如何保持每一片的重心平衡，也是定位挂点的难度所在。经过了大量测试，我们找到了每个挂点的位置和角度的最佳算法。通过电脑程序，这个算法被赋予给每一个笔画，再经由精心的施工，呈现出了现在的效果。
For the “Xinghui” installation, the position accuracy of each steel wire was required to be at the millimeter level to achieve the perfect effect of perspective illusion. Based on the programming simulation, we accurately located the plane position and hanging length of each stroke, and we numbered each stroke to accomplish the desired effect completely and precisely during installation. Each stroke was fixed by two hanging points, which is highly demanding technically; the points are not only durable and safe, but as invisible and simple as they can be. Because each of the 243 strokes is unique, the difficulty of locating the hanging points was in how to balance each of them. After a mass of testing, we found the best algorithm for the hanging location and angle of each point. The algorithm was applied to each stroke through computer programming, and then each stroke was carefully constructed to achieve the current effect.
▼钢丝悬挂243个笔画，243 strokes suspended on steel wire © 周涵滔
对于安装在学校的装置艺术，安全性永远是第一考虑。尤其是“星汇”装置，安装在人流密集的教学楼大厅天花板上，任何情形下的笔画掉落都可能引发灾难。在打样测试的过程中，我们进行了慎重的配重和抗风的测试与计算，根据这些测试的调试结果，“星汇”装置做到了在极限风压情形下，在长达五年的设计吊挂周期中保证安全，却又足够灵活，可以非常敏感地感知气流和光的变化。
Safety is always the first consideration for installations in schools, especially, in this case, for the “Xinghui” installation. Mounted on the ceiling of the crowded academic building hall, any safety failure could lead to a disaster. During the prototyping process, we performed cautious calculations and simulations of weight distribution and wind resistance. The outcome of such rigorous processes proved that the installation is safe and flexible enough to sense the change of airflow and light in a five-year lifecycle under extreme wind pressure.
▼中厅午间阳光反射，midday sunlight reflection © 周涵滔
“星汇”装置之所以能够不断变色，是由于使用了特殊的膜材料。琢磨琢磨的创始人，装置艺术的主设计师王斯旻在康奈尔读研究生时曾经参与过一种新的膜材料的研发。当时名为eSkin的膜材料因为微观结构的复杂性，能够在不同光照条件下展现出不同的视觉性质。从去年开始，3M投产的Dechroic Film已经在国内的各种商业项目中被广泛应用。
The installation is able to change color constantly because of the use of special membrane materials. Wang Simin, the principal designer of this installation, participated in the research and development of a new membrane material when he was a graduate student at Cornell University. The membrane material eSkin was developed, which could reveal different visual properties under different lighting conditions by virtue of the complex microstructure. Dichroic film by 3M has been widely used in various commercial projects in China since last year.
▼细部，颜色不断变化，details, colors are changing © 周涵滔
每天太阳东升西落，当直射或是散射的光穿过教学楼立面的落地玻璃射入中厅，光的强度和入射角度的变化，风拨动装置笔画，以及观察者视角的变化，都会让每一片笔画显示出不同的颜色和透明度。而白色墙面上的反光也会随之律动。今年秋天，汇文中学将要迎来她的150周年校庆。但愿到时疫情散去，两个装置可以迎接来自海内外的校友师生，共祝母校，共叙情谊。
Every day, the sun rises and sets, and direct and scattered light streams into the hall through the French windows of the academic building facade. The change of light intensity and angle, the swing of the strokes caused by wind, and the different observation angles make each stroke show a different color and transparency. The reflection of light on the white wall will moves in rhythm with the strokes. This fall, Huiwen Middle School will celebrate its 150th anniversary. We hope the epidemic will be over by then, and the two installations can welcome alumni, teachers, and students from home and abroad, bringing their best wishes and kindness together.
▼夜景，night view © 周涵滔
▼平面图，plan © 琢磨琢磨科技（北京）有限公司
▼剖面图，section © 琢磨琢磨科技（北京）有限公司
▼山海立面，elevation of Shanhai © 琢磨琢磨科技（北京）有限公司
▼星汇立面，elevation of Xinghui © 琢磨琢磨科技（北京）有限公司
