location: newark, new jersey
type: religious and performing arts
medium: wood panels
When approached by a local church in Newark, New Jersey to design a new backdrop for their stage, an interesting design challenge was presented. During the weekdays, this church rents out their venue to local organization for events meaning the design had to be easily broken down and stored away after mass was completed. To make a structure small and portable yet seamless and aesthetically pleasing, the idea of using perforated wooden panels came to mind.
To make them portable but still grand in scale when erected in the space, the frame of the panel system was designed to fold in half. The structure was made of a wooden frame with back support to counterbalance the frame weight when upright. Plywood sheets with holes drilled into them were used to cover the frame and allow light to pass through. The idea behind a simple frame and plywood sheets allowed the church to change the perforated panel with a new design if desired in the future.
