Digital age designs, contemporary pieces and an extraordinary collection of wallcoverings were just some of the fascinating displays that students from the Architecture/Interior Design/3D Art Program had a chance to look at during their recent visit to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum.
The group of about 24 students, along with their teacher, Christine Ireland, and guidance counselor Anna Macchia, took an extensive tour of the museum, which is located in the Andrew Carnegie Mansion on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.
Students looked at the work of Dutch designer Joris Laarman, who is known for his pioneering and elegant applications of digital technologies. His aluminum bone chair, which mimics the growth of human bones, was of particular interest to them, as was his series of 3-D printable Makerchairs, a set of 12 chairs, each digitally fabricated and assembled from small parts, similar to a 3-D puzzle.
They were also intrigued by a video explaining the construction of Laarman’s MX3D Bridge, a fully functional footbridge that is being 3D-printed in stainless steel for a canal in Amsterdam using advanced robotic technology.
A rendering of the footbridge is on display at the museum.
The students also enjoyed looking at more traditional pieces, including the 18th- and 19th-century models of staircases and other architectural models donated to the museum, the wide range of ceramics that are display, the period furniture, and the many pieces from the Sarah and Eleanor Hewitt Collection.
The sisters were the granddaughters of inventor and industrialist Peter Cooper, founder of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. They were instrumental in having the museum, which was originally housed at the school, moved to the Carnegie mansion.
First-year student Terae Mead of MLK High School in Mount Vernon, who wants to become an architect, said the museum was very inspirational.
“It’s different from any other museum I’ve ever been to because it’s more creative and more imaginative than others,” he added. “The fact that you could interact with the pieces was also great.”
Terae was referring to the interactive pen that visitors are given when they visit the museum. The device allows users to explore and manipulate the objects they see, discover related objects in the museum’s collection and then later retrieve all of the information the pen has gathered on their home or mobile device.
Perhaps the most popular interactive experience at Cooper Hewitt is the Immersion Room, formerly Margaret Carnegie’s bedroom, which allows visitors to view the museum’s collection of wallcoverings.
Using the pen, the students were able to select wallpapers from the museum’s permanent collection and see them projected on the walls of the room, from floor to ceiling. The students had the choice of creating their own designs or watch the colorful immersive experience all around them.
“I think the most important thing that the students took away from this museum visit was inspiration,” said Ms. Ireland. “My goal is for them to always be inspired and that the school year is one filled with design and imagination!”