Hole in one: the making of Studio JinSik Kim, Cuellar, Bolon and Anun's ‘One Point’ minigolf

Seoul-based designer JinSik Kim, an ÉCAL and Design Academy Eindhoven graduate, has a knack for creating refined, sculptural compositions that have led to collaborations with the likes of Christofle and Hermès. So it comes as no surprise that his five-hole ‘One Point’ minigolf course for Hotel Wallpaper* features obstacles that are as much individual works of art as they are light-hearted entertainment. From a series of overlapping circles to a single sloping rectangle, each of the five miniature fairways has been painstakingly landscaped by layering lightweight honeycomb metal panels with a smooth carpet surface by Swedish flooring brand Bolon. To create a floating effect, the obstacles are seamlessly cantilevered by heavy marble bases produced by Spanish manufacturer Cuellar.

Kim’s design journey began in South Korea with a search for a material that was lightweight and flexible, yet strong enough to serve as the skeleton for his hovering holes. Seoul-based manufacturer Anun’s metal panels proved to be just the ticket. ‘They’re light, strong and smooth,’ says Kim. ‘And they don’t shake when you hit a ball across them.’ Typically used in the manufacture of curved television sets, the panels sandwich a honeycomb structure in-between two metal sheets that can then be pressed into any curved form.

Kim then journeyed a little further afield to Bolon’s carpentry studio in Ulricehamn to find a surface that could serve as his turf. Here he began to experiment with colour and pattern, examining how the carpets could complement the shape of each obstacle. Working with Bolon’s Create collection in three blue, green and grey colours, Kim sliced and diced the carpets together to define his fairways. To anchor each obstacle firmly to the ground, Cuellar produced CNC-cut marble bases using five varieties – four Spanish marbles, including Sierra Elvira and Black Marquina, and one Italian (a grey-veined white Carrara).

Kim finally turned to Italian brand Golfinger Italia to equip his course with the perfect putters. With their distinctive clear acrylic heads, each putter fitted snugly into its own sculptural stands specially designed by Kim and made in coordinating marble by Cuellar.

‘For me, the most satisfying part was to see people at the exhibition interacting with the installation,’ says Kim. ‘Can it get more hands-on than that?’  

As originally featured in the August 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*209)

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INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Bolon website, the Studio JinSik Kim website, or the Cuellar website