Hypothesis
Walls serve a variety of functions. In its most primitive form, a wall defines space, marking a boundary that separates one area from another.
As a society we yearn for the boundaries and security that walls provide; yet we are also often frustrated at the restraints on our liberty imposed by these barriers.
In the 1875 poem “Mending Wall”, Robert Frost writes:
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know,
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offence.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down.1
Antithesis
Fibre Optic Light Transmitting Concrete is made by using a combination of fibre optic cables and concrete.
These optical fibres are cast into the concrete by threading them through penetrations in the formwork in a desired pattern or constellation before the concrete mixture is poured.
The system can function in one of two ways:
Either the optical fibres transmit light from an in-built LED source within the wall’s construction; or they simply transmit the light emitting from an adjacently lit room, thus alleviating the sense of isolation and division by offering a glimpse into the world beyond, while maintaining the privacy and security provided by the wall.