Sleeping in Spandrels (2008). Christopher Robbins and Douglas Paulson.
While an Artist in Residence at
Parfyme's Harbor Laboratory (I lived in that tent up top), I worked with
Douglas Paulson to develop Spandrels in waterbound Copenhagen.
Spandrels are unplanned-for spaces, forgotten architectural details, like the triangular space left beneath a stairwell, between an arch and the ceiling, under a bridge, behind a door...
The term has been adopted by many professions to indicate the re-use of
structures for purposes other than the originally intended - even body parts!
Spandrelling means using these empty spaces, building structures for sleeping, eating, looking at stars...
Douglas Paulson and I built
a pair of breakfast spandrels, and I developed a suggestive map (
300k pdf) that leads you to spandrels in Copenhagen that you can reach by water, offering suggestions for spandrelling these spaces yourself.
Thanks to the Christiania Researcher in Residence (CRIR) program for their support, and of course to Parfyme Harbor Laboratory, for opening the harbor to me and so many others through that intense and supportive little corner of the Copenhagen harbor, whose tendrils and spandrels extend deep into waterways everywhere.
© christopher robbins 1998-now