The finished SURAL Wall.

Local 204 recently collaborated with Austin + Mergold on the installation of their SURAL Wall at Temple University’s CEA Gallery in the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia. The Wall features a voluptuous surface of recycled vinyl siding mounted to CNC-milled plywood ribs. At two points, the vinyl surface peels apart, creating a pegboard ‘contemplation seat’ and a backlit ‘display wall’ that exploits the material’s translucency. As an exploration of materiality, surface, and construction, the installation challenges the typical connotations of vinyl siding – developer housing, suburbanization, the American dream – while suggesting new uses for this cheap and ubiquitous material.

The CNC-milled plywood ribs.

Local 204 contemplates the SURAL condition.

(l to r) James Bowman, Jason Austin, Alex Mergold

SURAL Wall Sketch

See austin-mergold.com for more photos and a time-lapse video of construction.