Volta

poetic shodow light with vaulted aesthetics in space

Volta is an alternative coffee table design, inspired by the rib vault of the cathedral. This work hopes to interpret the visual appeal and beauty of the arched structure from a human perspective when look up at the space of the cathedral. The designer uses a frame form composed of cross or diagonal arched ribs as a basis rule to explore the structural lines and shapes of the object. The design of the table legs refers to the structure’s arched structure column. The special arc-shaped steel plates are staggered at a 45-degree angle to form the support structure of the tabletop.

The object uses a half-reflective glass as its table-top surface. In daily mode, it presents a special transparent color, allowing users to appreciate the both functional and beautiful structural lines under the table. In the night lighting mode, through the refraction and reflection between its inside light source and the half-reflective glass used on the desktop, the object can project the beauty of the arched building into the indoor environment in the form of light and shadow.

In the design making processes and manufacturing tasks, the first version uses metal sculpture approach to manually bend and weld steel bars to make the main structure. The second version is an improved version of the first version. Designer used CAD and CNC to cut steel plates to accurately fabricate the structure. In the structural design, special consideration is given to lightweight and visual performance, and the assembly details are also considered to ensure manufacturing feasibility.

This work interprets the visual appeal and beauty of the arched structure from a human perspective when look up at the space of the cathedral. Through the refraction and reflection between its inside light source and the half-reflective glass used on the desktop, the object can project the beauty of the arched building into the indoor environment in the form of light and shadow.

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概要/
「拱形 Volta」作品為一結合結建築構造美學與光雕表現的咖啡桌設計，利用古典建築的拱頂和柱子組合，產生具視覺美感的肋狀拱頂線條為啟發，運用當代數位製造(digital fabrication)技術，以鋼構呈現肋狀拱頂 (rib vault) 的結構形式，發展桌腳（柱）與桌面（拱頂與屋面）一體成形的造形。並藉由光雕的手法，讓原本存在古典建築裡的空間語彙與構造美感，以虛擬光影呈現於室內環境。

該作品取名為「拱形 Volta」，致敬於拱頂這種建築形式，最早在羅馬帝國時期開始活躍發展。英語中的拱頂 (vault) 一詞來自於法語 voûte，而法語中的拱頂一詞更源自於最早的義大利語volta。而這件作品靈感來自於古典教堂建築的肋狀拱頂，設計者以當代新興科技，再詮釋與再表現人仰視拱頂空間時感受到的古典建築空間語彙與構造美感。創作者以對角線交叉組成的肋狀拱頂發展成基本造形元素，發展整體物件的結構線條和形狀。桌腳的設計參考了古典建築的拱頂和柱子的組合形式，將雕塑後的鋼板，以45度角交錯排列，形成桌面的支撐結構

情境與表現/
該作品使用半反射玻璃作為其咖啡桌的桌面。在日常模式，它呈現出一帶些許銀色亮面的透明色，使用者可以欣賞到桌下兼具結構功能與造形美感的拱結構線條。在夜晚的使用模式，安置於作品底座的LED光源會與桌面上的半反射玻璃進行折射與反射的對話，將咖啡桌的拱形結構線條以光影的形式，表現在室內環境裡。

該作品更獲得義大利（羅馬、佛羅倫斯等建築文明的發源地）最具代表性的 A’Design 設計獎頒發家具設計類銅獎。該作品更被義大利 ARSCITY 媒體評為2021年 A’Design 設計獎中最具原創性的10件家具類作品，並以義大利文提到：「該作品將拱形建築之美，以光影的形式投射至室內，創意令人讚嘆。」（l’oggetto può proiettare la bellezza dell’edificio ad arco nell’ambiente interno sotto forma di luci e ombre.）

後續發展/
造形部分，以雷射切割金屬片的方式，發展造形其實是有利於量產發展與開發的。後續將強化造形的多樣性與表現力，將以佛羅倫斯聖母百花聖殿 (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) 為主題，研究建築師Filippo Brunelleschi的穹頂曲線，使用原8隻柱位向內彎曲支撐的拱形曲線，向外發展懸臂的挑空的形式發展構造與組合的接合關係，並以此發展新版的結構美感。再下一步，研究台灣傳統建築的斗拱懸臂結構，爲家具家飾領域，帶來建築結構美學的審美觀。