Case Work Opens at the Portland Art Museum
View projectJun 8, 2016
On June 4th, Allied Works’ first major exhibition, Case Work: Studies in Form, Space and Construction, opened at the Portland Art Museum, following a three-month run at the Denver Art Museum. The opening was marked by an exhibition preview and celebration reflecting on the firm’s legacy and contributions to Portland’s design community.
Case Work was developed in partnership with Dean Sobel, Director of the Clyfford Still Museum, which was completed by Allied Works in 2011, and Brian Ferriso, Director of the Portland Art Museum.
"This project has special meaning to me," said Ferriso. "It’s a project that speaks deeply to the values that we cherish and those values are about really understanding and appreciating the landscape, and building structures that are responsive to this unique place we live.”
Case Work features over 100 concept drawings, models and studies developed throughout Allied Works’ 21-year history. More than a proxy or evocation of a building project, these artifacts serve as a vehicle for the exploration of materials, assembly, space and perception; they are a vital part of a design process that engages all realms of creative practice.
The installation is composed of ten handmade cases or ‘toolboxes’ suspended in a light-gauge steel framework. This custom armature serves as a means of extension and dialogue with the viewer and the exhibit space itself, encouraging exploration and closer study of the models and drawings on display. Writing in Portland Architecture, Brian Libby noted, “What may be most impressive about Case Work is that it isn't a simple trophy-case exhibit of pretty photos with architectural models of completed buildings sitting on vitrines and pedestals. Instead, this show is about process, and how each Allied Works building is the result of a long process of iteration and idea generation.”
An accompanying catalogue, published by Metropolis Books, will be available at the exhibiting institutions and online.
Recent Press:
On June 4th, Allied Works’ first major exhibition, Case Work: Studies in Form, Space and Construction, opened at the Portland Art Museum, following a three-month run at the Denver Art Museum. The opening was marked by an exhibition preview and celebration reflecting on the firm’s legacy and contributions to Portland’s design community.
Case Work was developed in partnership with Dean Sobel, Director of the Clyfford Still Museum, which was completed by Allied Works in 2011, and Brian Ferriso, Director of the Portland Art Museum.
"This project has special meaning to me," said Ferriso. "It’s a project that speaks deeply to the values that we cherish and those values are about really understanding and appreciating the landscape, and building structures that are responsive to this unique place we live.”
Case Work features over 100 concept drawings, models and studies developed throughout Allied Works’ 21-year history. More than a proxy or evocation of a building project, these artifacts serve as a vehicle for the exploration of materials, assembly, space and perception; they are a vital part of a design process that engages all realms of creative practice.
The installation is composed of ten handmade cases or ‘toolboxes’ suspended in a light-gauge steel framework. This custom armature serves as a means of extension and dialogue with the viewer and the exhibit space itself, encouraging exploration and closer study of the models and drawings on display. Writing in Portland Architecture, Brian Libby noted, “What may be most impressive about Case Work is that it isn't a simple trophy-case exhibit of pretty photos with architectural models of completed buildings sitting on vitrines and pedestals. Instead, this show is about process, and how each Allied Works building is the result of a long process of iteration and idea generation.”
An accompanying catalogue, published by Metropolis Books, will be available at the exhibiting institutions and online.
Recent Press: