Architectural Cases

At Rockaway Beach in New York City, an innovative public art exhibition titled 'Between Tides' has redefined the traditional game of ping-pong. Curated by Gabriela López Dena, this display features six artist-designed ping-pong tables that, while maintaining familiar dimensions, introduce elements that disrupt standard gameplay. This transformation encourages participants to abandon competitive instincts and engage in a more collaborative and experimental form of interaction, making prior expertise temporarily irrelevant.

One of the installations, 'for those of us who live at the shoreline' by Brooklyn-born artist Ilana Harris-Babou, explicitly challenges players' competence. Ceramic beach objects strategically placed across a glittering terrazzo surface obstruct direct shots, making smooth rallies difficult for everyone. This design fosters hesitant serves and unpredictable rebounds, encouraging new ways to use the table beyond scoring points. Adjacent seating further extends the experience, inviting players and observers to pause and engage in free play. Harris-Babou's concept, developed through community workshops, cultivates a relaxed social environment where individuals can compete, watch, rest, or devise entirely new activities.

Japanese artist Moko Fukuyama introduces a dramatic interruption with 'Old School,' where a vintage aluminum boat collides with a wooden ping-pong table, ensnared by a vibrantly painted sea creature. The salvaged boat, sourced from Marina 59, and the carved walnut tentacles finished with automotive paint, create an unexpected obstacle on the playing surface. This arrangement infuses a sense of maritime chaos into the game, transforming strong serves into unpredictable deflections. Fukuyama's work draws inspiration from sea folklore and her personal connection to fishing, symbolizing how external forces can swiftly disrupt familiar systems.

The Queens-born sisters behind Las Hermanas Iglesias infuse unpredictability into their creation, 'DiMeLo,' a stainless-steel table equipped with musical instruments. A glockenspiel on one side and percussion elements on the other produce unique tones as the ball strikes them, depending on the game's pace and direction. Drawing from their childhood experiences and using table tennis as a creative outlet, the sisters turn competition into an accidental musical composition. Each match generates a distinct sound, with players having little control over the resulting melody, highlighting the spontaneous nature of art and play.

Amalia Pica's 'Fair Play' expands the conventional two-person setup into a zigzagging formation of eight tabletops, capable of accommodating up to ten participants. Colorful maritime signal flags spell out 'COME PLAY,' inviting widespread involvement. This configuration complicates identifying a single opponent or maintaining a clear line of exchange, prompting players to collectively determine the start and flow of a rally. Pica's design reflects her childhood memories of communal ping-pong games in Argentina, transforming face-to-face duels into dynamic group activities shaped by new entrants.

Carlos H. Matos's 'Tlachco' merges contemporary ping-pong with the ancient Mesoamerican game of Ulama, featuring sloped walls and hoops. The Mexican artist scales down the traditional Ulama court architecture, using aluminum and volcanic stone to create a compact playing field with multiple targets. Players can utilize the sloped walls for rebounds or aim through hoops, moving beyond conventional scoring. This sculpture invites imaginative play and encourages deciphering the court's unique demands, making each rally an exploration of movement and interpretation.

The creative collective SUPERFLEX directly references the waterfront environment with 'Fish Ping-Pong,' a pink Cantera stone structure featuring openings at its base and playing surface. Its design evokes modernist housing along the Rockaway shoreline but is also conceived for future marine life, with cavities that could provide shelter for algae and other ocean inhabitants if submerged. Two prominent holes on the playing surface become unexpected targets, placing every game at the intersection of urban development and natural forces. This piece challenges players to adapt to a court designed for both human recreation and an aquatic ecosystem.

The 'Between Tides' exhibition, running from June 27th to September 13th, 2026, offers free paddles and balls on weekends, with visitors welcome to bring their own equipment anytime the beach is open. The exhibition's most profound moments occur when the established rules of the game dissolve. Whether a ball strikes a ceramic obstruction, vanishes into a hole, or a metallic sound drifts across the sand, players are collectively prompted to improvise and decide the next move. This approach underscores the exhibition's goal of fostering spontaneous and collaborative engagement with public art.

Experience the Dawn of Sustainable Illumination: Cenit's Bio-Integrated Design

Embracing Innovation: Cenit's Material Fusion and Visionary Design

Building upon the foundational work of 'Lapso', the 'Cenit' collection emerges from a partnership between Polybion and Natural Urbano, presenting an array of lighting fixtures that explore the dynamic interplay between sustainably sourced materials, ambient light, and contemporary interior aesthetics. This series masterfully combines the inherent beauty of natural ash, the sleekness of stainless steel, and the unique properties of Celium™ Manto – Polybion's advanced cultivated cellulose. The design leverages Celium™'s inherent translucency to diffuse light, casting a gentle, inviting radiance that transforms any environment. Drawing inspiration from the serene beauty of golden sunsets and the distinct linear forms popular in the 1970s, Cenit reinterprets the essence of light as a floating horizon within interior spaces. The name 'Cenit' itself, signifying the highest point in the sky as observed by an individual, is embodied in the design's horizontal light lines, poised elegantly within their surroundings. While 'Lapso' was conceived as a singular artistic statement, 'Cenit' extends this material exploration, offering a more adaptable range of lighting options suitable for diverse modern interiors. The collection includes both pendant and table lamp configurations, demonstrating the versatility of Celium™ across various scales and applications.

Crafting Radiance: The Layered Construction of Ash and Celium Manto in Cenit

The 'Cenit' collection marks a significant milestone as the inaugural joint venture between Polybion, a leader in biotechnology, and Natural Urbano, an innovative design studio. This collaboration harmoniously integrates wood, stainless steel, and Celium™ Manto into a cohesive lighting fixture. The foundational structure is meticulously crafted from multiple thin layers of natural ash, carefully pressed and fastened together to form a robust spine. Nestled between eight layers of ash, four on each side, the Celium™ Manto shade is securely integrated using the same precise pressing and fastening techniques. This intricate framework not only supports the translucent cultivated cellulose but also highlights its unique textural qualities across the light-diffusing surface, celebrating the material's inherent beauty.

The Art of Cultivation: Celium's Unique Characteristics and Cenit's Versatility

Celium™ is a revolutionary material produced by feeding bacteria with agricultural fruit waste. This biological cultivation process, distinct from traditional manufacturing methods, results in each Celium™ sheet possessing subtle yet unique variations in color, density, and surface texture. These inherent differences are preserved in the final lamps, enriching their visual appeal and enhancing the overall ambiance they create. The pendant light in the collection features a horizontal arrangement, evoking the image of a suspended horizon, while the table lamp adapts this layered material concept into a more compact form. The table lamp is offered in two distinct material finishes: Celium™ Manto, which provides a soft, translucent light, and Celium™ Keros / Espumante, which presents a denser and more tactile surface. Each 'Cenit' lamp is custom-made, with an estimated delivery period of five weeks. The collection is exclusively available through Natural Urbano's official website and Polybion's Vibe Lab Shopify store.