andré castro vasconcelos creates spaces made with clothes using the vitruvian virtues

within the fundamentals of architecture, the research created by andré castro vasconcelos is focused on working with material and shape, bringing unexpected possibilities. what he builds can be defined as ‘architectural installations‘: on one hand, there are the unavoidable dualities: inside space / outside form, building / shaping, and structure / covering; on the other hand, there is the subversion of the ‘vitruvian triad’ — beauty, utility and structure, by replacing what is ‘useful’ for what is ‘meaningful’, in a way that space and form are shown to the public as a representation of ideas and metaphors.

‘vêtements de rechange’ is a dome built with 62 shirts, 20 blouses and 4 jackets

each installation led portuguese architect andré castro vasconcelos to embrace a new leaning process from the chosen material. this is accomplished not only with study of its articulation, but also by testing its resistance. in synthesis, following the development of any conventional material throughout history. the architect uses recycled materials, such as: second hand clothes, water bottles, and basic construction elements that require simple assembly methods. for instance, the assembly can be made by linking buttons and holes, tying belt loop to belt loop, making wood joints with screws, or making knots with ropes.

the space is created by a juxtaposing among clothing rings, following this sequence: 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24

‘we intend to not only to amuse people and create interesting spaces, but also to bring attention to the spectrum of possibilities that architecture has to offer‘, according to architect andré castro vasconcelos.

empty water bottles, placed inside the sleeves, are used to lift the rings

shirts are carefully arranged according to their color, pattern and texture, respecting basic rules of composition

‘endless walking’ is a circular space, built with 196 trousers hold by a wooden structure in the inside

the structure gives the idea of a group of people walking in circles

some trousers are turned inside out and linked using plastic belts at the waist, others by overlapping the legs

like the ‘καρυάτιδες’, the human shape integrates into a building as part of its vocabulary. A body becomes a column

‘gathering’ is an installation built with 32 shirts and 40 trousers

taking advantage of the verticality of the space, both techniques of building with shirts and trousers are employed

the project incorporates the keys elements required for working far from the atelier

it’s possible to imagine both, a little ‘stonehenge’ and the representation of a group of people worshiping the sun

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: apostolos costarangos | designboom