Seldom in 3DS’s work have contrasting elements been so dramatically juxtaposed as in this bold Aspen sales center. In a surprising alliance of styles, huge, sweeping sheets of gleaming, angular metal coexist in the space with rough, rustic barn wood, for an effect described as “Daniel Boone Meets Blade Runner”. This Snowmass Village Presentation Center occupies a historic building in downtown Aspen, with an aesthetic inspired by the mountains and ranching history of the area. Typography and graphics are strongly contemporary, yet displayed with a hand-hewn spin. A hand-painted site map with key details in raised aluminum or a sleek leather couch look especially modern, set off against a plain pine floor and backwoods log tables.
The larger fixtures presented an additional challenge. Due to the massive scale and weight of this installation, special engineering was required to get it all safely into place over a simple wood floor considerably weakened by a fire 100 years ago. Ultimately, the pieces were hung from the ceiling.