We were excited to discover Ali Siahvoshi’s fantastically witty lighting designs that we simply didn't imagine that it could get any better. And then we saw Ali’s take on a quintessentially British garden…

Ali explains that, ‘Despite all of the problems on the site the owners never stopped me or interfered with my ideas. In fact, they gave me a blank sheet of paper. I am very grateful for that so in return I decided to design some uniquely themed garden furniture with a touch of fun.’ That theme was, much like Ali’s lighting designs, to utilise existing objects to serve an altogether different function. ‘My design is a collaboration between myself and existing objects. I work with those objects that communicate with me. For instance, I can communicate with a coat hanger but not with a CD rack. Take as an example the fact that we can live peacefully with a dog or a cat under one roof because we can communicate with each other but we can hardly watch TV while a poisonous snake lays beside us on the sofa.'

‘This part is a secret place. When planing it I travelled back to my childhood memories when we discovered boat wreckage or some other mysterious object. An old post box and concrete bus stop represent these mysterious wreckages. The post box represents trust as many of our secrets are put in this box and we think they are safe.’

'First, I listen to the objects and their suggestions and then I choose them for the right design.’ From a traditional red letterbox to a bus stop sign, Next to it is a very unusual playful seat made from concrete cannon-like bollards maybe representing bits of wreckage of a WWII gunship and behind that a bus stop. Ali has given a new lease of life to these quintessentially British and comfortably familiar objects. ‘Anybody who walks into their garden smiles and that is exactly what I wanted. In fact,’ he smiles, ‘this project was like a honey pot for me.’

Ali Siahvoshi, T: +44 07930 505 264 E: SIAHVOSHI@aol.com

Photos ©2004 Ken Sparkes Words: Carla Bower.
First published in SPACES issue 07 ©2004 Polygon Publishing Ltd