Frozen Time

By Avinash  Yadav

Photography: Takuji Shimmura; courtesy the architect

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Architects Dorell.Ghotmeh.Tane (DGT), Paris, have designed an installation, “which creates an experience of standing in time that has been frozen” encapsulating the essence of Japanese watch brand Citizen with “Time is Light, Light is Time”.

Installed on an area of 147 sq.m. , the idea of ‘Frozen time’ has been realized at the Basel World, Switzerland - the largest watch and jewel industry exhibition in the world. The huge artistic installation epitomizes the brand identity of Citizen Watches and reaffirms its motto of ‘Challenging Spirits’.

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“I felt, out of all parts, these main plates would best express the citizen brand, as they support the whole watch from behind,” says architect Tsuyohi Tane of DGT architects, who conceived the idea of using 50,000 pieces of hand-crafted watch plates, suspended by 3,000 metal wires. Each plate is carefully positioned in the wires, resulting in 30 different types of geometric compositions.

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The entire environment is created in a way that makes one feel like one is travelling in space. The plates act as millions of stars dispersing their light to unfold the onset of a mystical world; interspersed amidst these sparkling plates, encased in tall vertical glasses are four brand new collections of CITIZEN watches that act as a part of the planetary system.

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The installation is made more meaningful by orchestrating 178 LED dimmable spotlights on the ceiling and 60 spots on the floor, elucidating the union of Time – Light that goes through continuous changes like human relationships.

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“This has reinforced my desire to create art that will stay in people’s memories even after it’s taken down in a week,” says, Ar. Tsuyohi Tane. Time is the only driving factor in this pavilion; which has travelled beyond imagination and touched lives.