We started asking ourselves “what is a comfort zone?” and the first image that came in mind was the womb. The concept Is the idea of a comfort zone as an intimate relationship, as an individual experience to live deeply, going from outside to an inner space. Therefore, the name “To the womb”.
The first step of our research was about the real life of a child into the maternal womb. We explored the scientific and psychological aspects of the growing inside it. What we understood, was the deep relationship between the mother and the baby, between the space and the baby. We thought about the real feeling that this particular comfort space conveys. The womb is the first space that we live before birth, a space full of nutrition, emotions and stimulus. The womb is the first comfort zone that we live.
Figured it out the emotional goal to reach with our project, we concentrated our attention on the shape, on the solid space. The main idea was to design something concave, soft and embracing. Studying several references as Ernesto Neto’s and tomas Saraceno’s project, we decided to design a comfort zone as a suspended space. A textile environment that reacts with the movement of the person inside it. More exactly, we designed what we called a “sack” in which people could feel safe, could forget anxiety and stress far from outside.
Moreover, we thought over the materials to use to give the perfect feeling inside “the womb”. After many tests, we chose to put a soft, elastic and semi-transparent fabric on the top.
A material that could remind the skin touch, as filter between outside and inside. For the “real” comfort zone space, the sac, we chose a material more close, a pierced textile in which the light can filter, to create the intimate relationship with the space.
The last point that we analyzed was how to get inside the womb. Then, we decided to create a path, a few inclined ramp to climb to leap inside the comfort zone. We imagined the womb not just inside a specific space, but it can be placed in different enviroments.
In a public situation, like a park, or in a domestic one, like a flat.
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Mentor // Patricia Urquiola
Project leaders // Giulio Ridolfo
Course leader // Francesca Vargiu
Tutor // Elena Pefani
Design team // Michela Matrisciano + Manuela Mottareale
