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Toki Underground x Alien Workshop & Habitat Skateboards
Toki Underground x Alien Workshop & Habitat Skateboards
Design Spotlight: Toki Underground x Alien Workshop & Habitat Skateboards
Gazing upwards inside Toki Underground's newest Baltimore location, the seemingly gravity-defying skateboard ceiling feature is an experience in and of itself. A blend of design, motion & innovation, this isn’t an ordinary piece of artwork.
The fabrication of this unique kinetic sculpture, made from over a hundred skate decks, traces back to Toki Underground’s longstanding collaborative partnership with Alien Workshop & Habitat Skateboards (seen here in the O.G. DC location).
Art and design are iterative processes. They require more than just creativity, demanding an understanding of a variety of materials, engineering techniques, and the spaces inhabited.
Toki partner & interior designer Christophe Richard collaborated with Baltimore industrial artist Sean Berg as well as Habitat/AWS head honcho Joe Castrucci to concept, design and build a rotating feature which draws on the original Toki’s use of decks as design elements but expands the idea across the dining room.
Each unique deck was cut, overlapped and skewered lengthwise with steel rods to create a singular tapestry.
It was a puzzle-like challenge to ensure that each board, with its distinct shape and character, melded seamlessly into a continuous, visually stunning array.
The second aspect involved kinetic mechanics. Drawing from Sean’s fabrication experience, he devised the bearings, gears & motors to create a hypnotizing installation that mimics a synchronized slow-motion kick flip.
The foundation, quite literally, of the entire structure is an expertise in steel fabrication.
Holding hundreds of pounds of steel and skateboards in place is no minor feat; it’s a juxtaposition of strength and elegance. The massive steel & glass frame not only supports the kinetic skate feature, hanging pendants & shelving for the bar and kitchen, it also ensures the safety of diners below.
The design also celebrates the heritage of Alien Workshop & Habitat Skate graphic artwork.
Abstract thoughts have been translated into a dynamic canopy of tangible realities. We hope the craftsmanship is apparent in every cut, weld and rotation. This will be the first of a series of Design Spotlights that focus on the local fabricators & artists who have helped shape the look and feel of Toki Underground.
Board Giveaway.
We’re giving away two complete skateboard decks for Cyber Monday. One Habitat Skateboards and one Alien Workshop. To enter, share the Instagram video post below to Stories and tag a friend who you want to skate with.
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