Karen Cheng and Kristine Matthews, University of Washington
Change Elevators, Paccar Hall, University of Washington
University of Washington Foster School of Business
Change Elevators, Paccar Hall, University of Washington
This installation reflects upon the dynamic relationship between business and change.
The word ‘CHANGE’ appears inside two elevators, along with 18 synonyms.
Each synonym is highlighted with actual loose change (an international coin).
On each floor, the word CHANGE is modified by an exterior word, creating six unique word pairs.
Designers: Karen Cheng and Kristine Matthews Building Architects: Mark Reddington and David Schneider, LMN Architects General Contractor: Kurt Winje, Sellen Construction Letter and Stone Tile Installation: Synergism Stone Metal Letter Fabrication and Stone Cutting: DST, Definitive Solutions and Technologies
Change Elevators, Paccar Hall, University of Washington
1. Summarize the problem you set out to solve. What was the challenge posed to you? Did it get you excited and why?
Kristine Matthews and I are both faculty members in Visual Communication Design at the University of Washington. In 2007, a committee from the UW Business School asked us if we would design an art installation for their new building, Paccar Hall. We were actually a kind of “last resort” for the committee, as they had, over the course of several months, already approached and been rejected by several well-known artists, largely due to the theme selected by the donor. During the height of the US financial crisis, the donor had stipulated that the artwork was to communicate “The Nobility of Business.”
2. What point of view did you bring to the challenge? Was there anything additional that you wanted to achieve with this project or bring to this project that was not part of the original brief?
We thought that the donor’s intent (to celebrate business and its impact on society) would be best served by an installation that would say something significant about the nature of business. We wanted to find a concept would endure over time (throughout the life of the new building), but we were afraid of “preachy” and obvious ideas and themes (i.e., concepts about business leadership, the importance of innovation, etc.). Given the large student audience, we also wanted the installation to be playful — to be something that people of all ages and cultures would relate to and enjoy seeing every day.
The “CHANGE” concept actually grew out of our desire to incorporate actual “loose change” (coins) into the fabric of the installation. During the design phase, the bankruptcy of General Motors was very much in the news, and several business school faculty members commented on the radical changes facing this iconic American company. We realized that the theme of “CHANGE” allowed us to pair the physical material of coins with a universal business concept — the need for companies and corporations of all kinds to adapt, transform and embrace change in order to survive.
3. When designing this project, whose interests did you consider? (Discuss various stakeholders, audiences, retailing, manufacturing, assembly, distribution, etc., for example.)
The audience for the piece extends from current students, staff, faculty and visitors, to the thousands of alumni and professionals who visit the UW Business School each year.
4. Describe the rigor that informed your design. (Research, ethnography, subject matter experts, materials exploration, technology, iteration, testing, etc., as applicable.) If this was a strictly research or strategy project, please provide more detail here.
The word CHANGE appears on the floor of two elevators, along with 18 synonyms (ADAPT, INNOVATE, TRANSFORM, etc.). These synonyms were chosen from a list of over 100 options. All letters are made from solid stainless steel, cut with water jets.
Each synonym is highlighted with actual loose change (international coins that hint at the diversity of the UW Foster Business School as well as the global nature of business). Water jets were used to create shallow wells for each coin, bringing them flush to the surface of the stone. The coins come from countries that have relationships with the UW Business School.
As the elevator moves from floor to floor, the interior word CHANGE is modified by another word just outside of the elevator, to both the front and back. These word pairs were chosen from a list of over 60 options:
Floor 5: I CHANGE / YOU CHANGE
Floor 4: LEAD CHANGE / MANAGE CHANGE
Floor 3: EXPECT CHANGE / EMBRACE CHANGE
Floor 2: LOCAL CHANGE / GLOBAL CHANGE
Floor 1*: CHANGE IDEAS / CHANGE LIVES
Basement*: CHANGE ? / CHANGE !
*On Level 1 and the basement, the elevators open in the opposite direction.
5. What is the social value of your design? (Gladdening, educational, economic, paradigm-shifting, sustainable, labor-mindful, environmental, cultural, etc.) How does it earn its keep in the world?
The client committee and donor were very enthusiastic about the relevance and importance of "change" in the world of business, especially given the current business environment in the United States, where firms and institutions once thought to be indestructible have collapsed.
Dean Jim Jiambalvo noted: "My colleagues are delighted with it. I think it makes a wonderful statement for the School, presented in a witty and humorous way. And the execution is excellent."
Faculty member Pete Dukes, Chair of the New Paccar Hall Building Committee said, "Everyone is really identifying with the CHANGE piece, and the words outside each floor are being memorized. Thus, when one is inside the cab and the door opens, a glance outside the door tells you what floor you are on."
6. If you could have done one thing differently with the project, what would you have changed?
We are very pleased with the result, but there are some word pairs that we would have liked to have seen installed. We particularly liked the phrase “CHUMP CHANGE.” Also, I would have liked to see an enormous percentage symbol in stainless steel — for the phrase “% CHANGE / NET CHANGE.”