Black and white photo of people looking at intricate shadows on a wall

My Time to Shine

Against the city’s new urbanity, architecture’s historic ornamental side has become an understated affair; these building details now playing a subsidiary role within the intense cityscape. To bring attention to these delightful accents Giaimo re-presented them at Come Up to My Room and DesignTO Festival 2020 with the help of the rich exteriors of the Gladstone Hotel. The floor and walls of room 206 provide the canvas for light and shadow to collaborate and display these details anew; presenting intangible and fantastical variations of the brick and stone pieces outside the room’s walls.

Client

Come Up To My Room 2020

Location

The Gladstone Hotel, Toronto, Canada

Completion Date

2020

Status

Complete

Team

Giaimo

Awards

Canadian Interiors, Best in Canada Award, Exhibit, 2020

Image Credits

Giaimo, Gabby Frank

8 photos of shadow patterns by visitors to the exhibition

Experimentation

The design process began by comprehensive study and documentation of the Gladstone’s details. This exercise lead to the reimagination of the elements in new forms and configurations that were printed on clear acetate sheets. The structure is a direct result of experimenting with light and shadow to observe what distance from the light source and surfaces of the room is required to create the desired effects.

Decorative panels

A layered approach was taken to build the structure with three frames: A larger outer frame and a smaller inner frame for the wall surfaces followed by a frame for projection on the floor. All frames are connected to each other to allow for adjustments and the largest one is suspended from the ceiling.

A building and architectural drawing
Decorative patterned panels
Decorative panels

Experience

The structure, the collages and chosen light source all collaborate to create intricate shadows with different sizes and textures that animate the room and create a memorable and immersive experience for the visitors. How the visitors move through the space, how they conceive the project and become a part of the it is the final element at play.

Latticework
I single person standing in an alcove of intricate shadows

Explore More