Excursion & Workshop: Studio LoopLoop

22.03.2024, Rotterdam (NL)

Onions are peeled, turmeric is chopped, madder root extract is dripped onto bubble wrap, and aluminum tubes bubble away in a water bath in the background. We find ourselves in a former fruit warehouse in the Rotterdam port area, now transformed into a creative space for Studio LoopLoop. Where banana boxes once piled up, Odin Visser and Charles Gateau are now experimenting with anodizing – a technique used to color aluminum tubes and profiles. Just a few months ago, the studio relied solely on petroleum-based pigments, but now the ceiling is adorned with lamps in vibrant shades of yellow and red, achieved using natural dyes from birch leaves and madder roots. Studio Loop Loop is committed to using increasingly sustainable and locally sourced materials to close the loop in their design process. Anodizing, traditionally an industrial process, involves creating a durable oxide layer on aluminum by immersing it in a bath of diluted sulfuric acid and connecting it to an anode. This process produces a thicker oxide layer with capillary-like pores, which can then be infused with color pigments. When the aluminum is placed in a boiling water bath, the pores contract and trap the pigments, resulting in a long-lasting layer of color. Studio Loop Loop has reimagined anodizing on a smaller, more artisanal scale. They have developed their own “Magic Colour Machine,” built from locally sourced materials, to adapt the industrial process for their needs. Their experimental approach to design is driven by curiosity and a commitment to local resources. As Odin Visser puts it, “We don’t make sketches; instead, we focus on being curious.” During a workshop, we experienced the process firsthand and explored Studio Loop Loop’s design perspective. Using various techniques – such as strings, bubble wrap, textiles, dipping and coating – we applied plant pigments derived from turmeric, birch leaves, red onions, and madder root to previously anodized aluminum tubes. Alternatively, plant leaves and peels were wrapped directly around the tubes with foil. After approximately 30 minutes, the foil was removed, and the tubes were briefly immersed in a boiling water bath to seal the colors. The results were striking surfaces and patterns in shades of red (madder root), yellow (birch leaves), yellow-orange (turmeric), and brown-green (red onion).

thanks to:Odin Visser
& Charles Gateau
from Studio LoopLoop
project:

The Plant Project
– Resilience Part II
year:2024
text by: Jolanda Schultrich