JUMGO CREATIVE × BENMOO | Chǐ Foot: Form Inspires Function
An Experience in Public Installations
Purpose-Driven
BEN MOO, a local brand specializing in traditional custom woodworking in Chengdu, has been dedicated to customizing wood production for over thirty years. From its humble beginnings, it has evolved into a company with a comprehensive wood product line, never compromising on quality or respect for users.
The creation of the "Chǐ (foot)" installation originated from a chance conversation between Holy He, founder of JUMGO Creative Design, and the director of BEN MOO. The director mentioned an unused outdoor space next to her current exhibition hall and envisioned a unique place for experience in the hope of creating a window display effect.
Honoring Tradition
Ten cùn (inches) equals one chǐ (foot), and ten chǐ makes one zhàng (ten feet).
The development of measurement units began at around the end of primitive society. Legend has it that Huangdi established five measurements, and Shaohao standardized them while also tuned music and rhythms. These units were initially based on the human body: “a hand span is one chǐ, a finger span is one cùn”; “the amount held in one hand is called yì, and when both hands are full, it’s called jǔ.” These expressions of length, once common in daily life, are rarely used today.
We aim to explore and attempt to better integrate ancient Eastern wisdom into contemporary design. Using a square with a side length of one chǐ (33.3cm) as the core idea, we opened up a new world full of possibilities.
Functionality Creation
Then emerged the idea of constructing a small tea room, which extends infinitely from two dimensions to three dimensions, providing a place for people to pause and rest. This place not only serves as a tea room for displaying and using various objects, but also offers greater flexibility and versatility by reassembling the layout of cabinets, tables, seating, screens, and other furnishings according to different needs, making it easy to integrate into various future scenarios.
Combining the warmth of wood with the rigidity of metal and embedding a specially developed lighting system, the space maintains an artistic appeal while ensuring practicality, adapting seamlessly to different functional demands.
Practice Possibility
We hope that this place becomes more than an infinitely expandable "building," but also an experiment on "publicity." It embodies BEN MOO's professional attitude towards products, and the courage and determination to try new technologies and trends continuously.
We embody our intentions into every inch, creating a unique space.
We hope that, within limited dimensions, we can create infinite space possibilities; with sincere intentions, we can bring users unprecedented experiences.
Status: Built
Location: Chengdu, CN
Firm Role: interior design
Additional Credits: Chief Designer: Holy He
Executive Designer: Chi Huang
Customized Brand: BEN MOO (www.benmoo.com)
Lighting Consultant: WOY Lighting
Visual Consultant: SAC Ci-young
Brand Execution: ZZ Media
Space Photographer: Chuan He