Conversation Piece

Conversation Piece in Toronto, Ontario by PLANT Architect Inc.

Recipient of an Honor Award by Wood Design & Building this year, Conversation Piece was an installation that was part of the 2004 Interior Design Show in Toronto, Ontario. PLANT Architect Inc. responded to the show's theme "What makes you wealthy?" with the answer, "When we derive joy from what and who is around us, we achieve true wealth." The physical embodiment of this response is Conversation Piece, a dining pavilion, among other things.

Visitors approach via a ramp with a wall on one side and a tall space fitted with suspended chiffon curtains on the other side. These soft curtains contrast sharply with the wood that makes up the majority of the rest of the installation, though without seeming out of place. Primarily, the curtains provide veiled glimpses of the actual Conversation Space, piquing people's interest but also indicating that true "clarity of wealth" lies in the interactions provided within.

The main dining space is comprised of five primary elements: the floor and ceiling as a sandwich of wood, the long wall composed of log sections stacked between horizontal and vertical framing members, a wood table with drawers and benches along both long sides, a rail of incandescent bulbs above the table, and a fireplace at the opposite end of the entry.

The 21-foot long table and benches acts as an instigator for conversation, be it with friends, family, or strangers. The drawers allow people to extract "conversation pieces" from inside. The hearth at the end, along with the rest of the room, aids in creating - as the architects describe - "calm, balance, simplicity, and true interactivity." The jury picked up on one of the qualities of the space: the creation of an illusion for interaction. It is a unique assemblage of elements that creates a certain mood, without being necessarily post-modern nor kitschy.