Hello Wood: Students Create Stunning Outdoor Installations

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The possibilities of wood as a primary material for all sorts of applications is explored in a project called ‘Hello Wood,’ an annual event in the fields of Hungary that invites students to create unusual outdoor installations. This year’s theme was ‘playing with balance,’ exploring the interaction of opposite forces. The results are pretty incredible, from an elevated walkway made of criss-crossing lumber to a set of wooden games for kids and adults alike.

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‘Cornwalk’ (pictured top) is a ramp that rises above a cornfield to face the point where the sun sets, offering an ideal vantage point. It makes use of a simple repeating A-frame gradually increasing in height. The playground by Architecture Uncomfortable Workshop uses simple wooden objects to create new games, often requiring improvisation on the part of participants.

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A project by András Cseh of CZITA Architects makes tongue-in-cheek reference to the opposites of low-tech materials and high-tech concepts by building a ‘wooden spaceship.’

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The flexibility of thin strips of wood is put on display with the Mochi installation led by Pep Tornabell of CODA, creating lightweight but self-supporting structures. See all of the entries over at ArchDaily.

Creative Custom Bus Stop Made of Pine Lumber

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Most modern bus stops are made of glass and steel, but one Spanish design collective has proven that pine lumber can actually be a fresher, more visually dynamic way to go – especially when you’re thinking outside the box creatively. Fourteen feet tall, this bus stop in Baltimore features three large sculptures that form the word BUS.

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Taking this unusual approach not only provides a practical place for commuters to wait, it also creates a new landmark and work of public art for the city. Planks of pine are screwed onto a steel base structure designed to hold extra weight.

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Passengers can sit, stand or lie down within the letters, depending on which one they choose. Each letter accommodates 2-4 people. The pine was left uncoated so it’ll take on a weathered look over time with exposure to the elements.

Intricately Carved Eastern White Pine Mantels by Mendota

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Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mendota Mantels is a team of talented woodworkers producing custom-carved mantels made mostly of Eastern White Pine. Each mantel is one-of-a-kind and hand-sculpted from reclaimed timbers and beams salvaged from old barns, mills and warehouses.

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Designs range from simple beams that are just barely finished to show off the natural beauty of the wood to complex sculptural creations like the ship featured top, and an illustration of one customer’s entire family history, above.

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Eastern White Pine is a natural choice for anything carved by hand, since it’s smooth and highly malleable, offering up an ideal surface for detailed work. Check out a series of incredible hyper-realistic sculptures for more examples.

 

Hyper-Realistic Sculptures Carved from Eastern White Pine

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At first, you might look at Randall Rosenthal’s artwork and think – what’s so special about this? It’s just a stack of newspapers, or a box with some cash on it. But reach out to touch it and you’d be in for quite a surprise – because it’s all made of wood. Eastern White Pine, to be specific, a smooth and highly malleable wood that’s perfect for achieving incredible detail like this.

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Each sculpture is carved from a single solid block of pine and painted with acrylics. Even the paper, rubber bands and skillfully crafted corrugated edges on cardboard boxes are carved from the wood.

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What makes these creations even more amazing is that Rosenthal isn’t looking at some kind of source material while he’s creating each one. He sculpts them as he goes, achieving incredible realism with nothing but his imagination.

See more of Rosenthal’s work at Bernarducci Meisel Gallery.