It is our pleasure to introduce you to Future Talks by RTF, a platform where pioneers of the design industry share their experiences and insights, shedding light on the evolution and soul of design. Our aim is to unveil the essence of design, its evolution, and its profound impact on the world as we know it.
We have the distinct honor of introducing you to the multi-talented and visionary Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong. Hailing from the bustling metropolis of New York, Cheryl is a true luminary in her field, standing at the crossroads of art, architecture, and the public realm. Her work is an extraordinary exploration of how spaces transform and evolve over time, a fusion of creativity and functionality that leaves an indelible mark on the world.
Cheryl Wing-Zi Wong’s artistic journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment to the realms of art and architecture. A native of the vibrant city of Los Angeles, Cheryl embarked on her academic journey at UC Berkeley, where she pursued her passion for both art and Italian culture. From there, she ventured to Milan, Italy, where she honed her skills in sculpture at the renowned Brera Academy. But Cheryl’s quest for knowledge and innovation did not stop there. She furthered her education by earning her Master of Architecture from the prestigious Columbia University GSAPP, solidifying her unique perspective and expertise in the world of design.
As we embark on this remarkable journey through the future of design, Cheryl’s insights and experiences promise to inspire, challenge, and expand your understanding of the role of design in shaping our world.
RTF: Hi Cheryl, We are glad to have you as a guest on Future Talks by RTF. Thanks for joining us. Tell us about yourself and your personal work which lies at the intersection of art and architecture.
Cheryl: As both an artist and trained architect, my work lies at the intersection of art, architecture and the public realm. I think that architecture, at the scale of small objects as well as large buildings, affects the way we behave and the way we interact with each other. Through sculpture, installation, performance and site-specific architectural interventions, I’m interested in creating transformative spaces and exploring how we can share space together. In the last years, I’ve been focusing more on public art, and have completed public art commissions with various institutions to activate underused public spaces, including: New York State Thruway Authority, New York City Parks, the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy, the City of Calgary, City of Inglewood and Washington DC Public Schools, amongst others.
I studied fine art at the University of California at Berkeley, studied sculpture at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera (Milan, Italy) and received my Master of Architecture degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning & Preservation (GSAPP). My background in these disciplines has definitely influenced the multidisciplinary direction of my creative work.
You can see more of my work here: cw-zw.com
RTF: You’ve had the opportunity to live and work in various cities around the world. How have these diverse cultural experiences influenced your approach to architecture and design?
Cheryl: Growing up, my parents were enthusiastic about taking my sister and I traveling when they were able to get time off from work. I feel grateful that I was exposed to these different international cities at a younger age, and this has fueled my desire as an adult to not only travel, but to live and work in different places – Milan, Hong Kong, Berlin, New York, Berkeley, Macau and Bangkok.
We have to look at public art or architecture, or any built intervention around the world, in their context. I think it’s always interesting to see the ways in which local culture becomes embedded into the work; whether it’s through the materials used, the craftsmanship or fabrication techniques, the way a work is placed in situ and invites the public to interact with it, or of course the narrative behind the work. As creators, I think it’s so important for us to be aware of and considerate of the cultural environment in which our work is being created – in fact, to design for it – and I think it can also provide inspiration for us to use local materials, colors or motifs, for example.
Both in my own work and in public art I’ve seen across the world, the most successful installations are when the works create experiences that become part of your daily journey; they’re not necessarily grandiose works, but works that can just change your day and make you pause.
RTF: Your work focuses on the transformation of shared spaces over time. Could you share an example of a project that vividly illustrates this concept and the changes it brought to the community?
Cheryl: “INGLEWOOD URBANSTAGE: Construction as Performance” was one of my first human-scale public artworks, commissioned by The City of Inglewood’s Department of Parks & Recreation in California. In designing the project, I was inspired by the lack of activity and emptiness of the giant plaza surrounding Inglewood’s City Hall. This whole Civic Center Complex, designed by Charles Luckman in the early 1970s, is a huge expanse of concrete, empty and relatively underused. How can we really start to re-examine the potential of these “public spaces” that aren’t inviting the public to use them?
My idea was for ‘Inglewood Urbanstage’ to activate this underused space as a theatrical piece that would be under constant transformation. The project was a sculptural pavilion that created a topography for anyone to sit, socialize, gather, read or climb on. It also hosted periodic “acts” in which the wooden modules of the artwork were re-arranged by my team of construction performers to create four distinct iterations of transformative architecture. Each cycle featured a different spatial configuration that was intended to invite different kinds of interaction with it, and to generate different kinds of discussion. For example, the first cycle, the Amphitheatre, was geared more towards a very clear performer and spectator relationship; in the next cycle, the Transverse stage, the audience would sit on opposing sides and this boundary gets blurred; in the final Longtable cycle, everyone could sit and eat a long sandwich together, side-by-side at a 40-foot long table.
I also organized public programming weekly on the pavilion, and invited local artists, architects, planners, city officials and neighbors to discuss urban issues together —a lot of the topics were inspired by Reyner Banham’s book, the “Four Ecologies of Los Angeles”. I believe that ‘Urbanstage’ really did change the social dynamics of the previously empty plaza, and became a new community gathering hub.
RTF: Your work has been featured in various publications and exhibited in prestigious venues. What, in your opinion is the significance of architects getting published and featured in publications?
Cheryl: Getting creative work published simply allows the work to be seen by a greater audience –
The positive aspect about having work featured in publications is that it becomes exposed to a wider audience – this is true for not just architects but also for most other disciplines as well.
In our current day, so many publications are accessible online, which allows projects to be seen more easily, by more eyes. Also, many design publications have open submissions, meaning anyone can submit their projects for possible publication. It can be really inspiring to see other design work being created across the world, from incredibly established designers to students.
RTF: Can you walk us through your creative process, from the initial concept to the final realization of a project? How do digital drawing and visual experiments fit into this process? Is there a particular project or achievement that you are especially proud of?
Cheryl: My process is similar but not always the same for each project. I rely on digital drawing and 3D modeling in Rhino to iterate designs. For some projects, I work with engineers to specify dimensions of materials and to finalize the design. I’ll then move my designs into construction drawings and will work closely with fabricators and technicians to bring the artwork to fruition. I’m also always onsite to oversee the physical installation of work.
‘CURRENT’ is a permanent, interactive sculpture that I installed in 2020 in New York, at the base of the new Tappan Zee Bridge. It’s made up of twelve triangular steel arches that range up to 25’ tall, with dichroic glass fins and responsive lighting. CURRENT is illuminated at night and plays dynamic light animations that are triggered by the motion of people walking, biking or moving in the vicinity.
This project was a lot more complex, so there were more parties involved: here, I worked closely throughout the year with the commissioners at the New York State Thruway Authority and ArtsWestchester. My engineers were a big part of the design refinement phase, and so were my steel fabricators. The design process also involved a systems designer and lighting experts to program the different light sequences, and then later to do onsite testing and tweaking. I worked closely with Xena Petkanas and Christoph Gisel at ARUP for this part — they were a totally amazing team to work with to bring the lighting component to life.
One note to add is that all of the preparation for this final installation was taking place just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit; obviously supply chains across the world have been impacted, and this also affected our LED supply. While we encountered severe supply challenges, we ultimately found a solution with a local supplier and the Thruway was incredibly understanding and helpful with making adjustments for these issues. In this case, they were the most ideal commissioners that an artist can work with; commissioners who are truly supportive of the work and the artist’s vision.
The onsite installation was a feat in itself. First off, transporting over 7 tons of these steel arches from my fabricators’ shop in Baltimore to Tarrytown, New York was a challenge. And when we were onsite, installing them involved a very delicate choreography between the crane operator and my installers to lift into position and then level these giant steel arches. After this, conduit had to be run and the LED components had to be connected by the Thruway electrician, Eddie Vasquez, before being encased by the concrete topping slab, which was poured over the foundation that had been prepared for the sculpture.
RTF: As a co-founding partner of WITH WITH, can you share some insights into the philosophy and projects of the experiential design studio?
Cheryl: My partner Dev Harlan and I co-founded WITH WITH a few years ago – Both of us have our independent art practices, so WITH WITH is more focused on commercial experiential design work. WITH WITH is a multidisciplinary design practice working at the intersection of art, architecture, design and technology, and our focus is on creating meaningful spatial experiences. It’s a great collaboration because we both have different skill sets and strengths – Devan is more technology-focused, with a background in 3D design, animation and projection mapping, whereas I have more of a spatial approach from my architecture- and sculpture-based background.
We’ve worked on several projects with luxury fashion house Coach to create responsive in-store digital experiences in Asia. These have included designing site-specific experiences to commemorate or inaugurate a specific product or a new physical store. Our work has been focused on designing digital content and sculpting this content into a physical context that conveys the spirit of Coach and creates an impactful experience.
RTF: What can we expect from your upcoming projects, and are there any particular themes or concepts you’re excited to explore in your future work?
Cheryl: I’m currently working on a research-based web project, REFLECTIVE URBANISMS: Mapping New York Chinatown, supported by The Laundromat Project, Columbia GSAPP Incubator Prize and Asian Women Giving Circle in New York, which is centered around telling stories about Manhattan’s Chinatown community through its architecture. The project catalogs the changes that New York Chinatown’s architecture has undergone over time and collects stories from community members about its streets, buildings, and activities in order to document the histories of this systematically marginalized and ignored place and its people. In my process, along with a team of junior designers, I’m creating 3D digital models of the buildings to show their major transformations over time. These stories will be integrated into an interactive digital map.
Chinatowns are enclaves founded upon a history of racism and exclusion, but they’ve also flourished into vibrant communities. Manhattan’s Chinatown, like many other North American Chinatowns, have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic from anti-Asian sentiment and gentrification. The goal of this project is to build resilience by documenting our NY Manhattan Chinatown community’s stories and its building transformations.
This project is part of a continuing series researching Chinatown buildings.The first of the series is a deep dive into Calgary Chinatown – you can spend some time flying over the 3D map, exploring architecture and reading stories by visiting the project here: reflective-urbanisms.com.
