Vortex

It is in the idea of ​​perpetual movement around a center that the idea for the new piece by Nómada Chiado is born.

The Vortex piece is the result of the desire to unite the two Nómada spaces. Even though they are two different pieces, since they respond to premises in different spaces, it made sense to use the same element, the boat, in an analogy to the idea of ​​nomadic travel.

Since the first studies, we wanted this boat to be a more permeable, more transparent element. Almost like an x-ray that allows you to see over, and at the same time creates effects of shadows and changing reflections throughout the day and the place we occupy in space.

The material of these boats had to respond to some technical premises. Weight restrictions and the need to transport from Artworks’ manufacturing warehouses to Lisbon were some of these constraints. It was therefore decided to use aluminum, a material that is much more malleable and lighter. By creating a 3D printing, a sand mold was created in negative. This process promoted a mass production system, that allowed the production of 192 pieces.

The structure also plays an important role in this piece. If in the first piece we chose to use the boats as structural elements that interconnect and thus create a self-supporting system, here we find it necessary to create a system that emphasizes the idea of ​​shoal movement. Thus, we opted for a diagrid on a sphere. This mathematical ratio creates a subdivision of the sphere in straight segments and forms a system of points along the sphere to which the boats are welded, also oriented diagonally so that the piece has a hint of movement.