Smart displays have started to invade our homes, from small tablet-like screens that stand on shelves and tables to gigantic displays on walls that are almost like TVs. These locations might be the most natural places to have these kinds of devices, but they aren’t always the most elegant or the most captivating. Tech visionaries would have us imagine a future where even windows would be screens that not only let us see information but also other places. We’re still a long way from that future, though, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a foretaste of that today. This translucent display concept, for example, seems pretty feasible with today’s technologies, but it can still have maximum impact in completely changing the way we look at and experience the humble doorways of our homes.
Designers: Suha Lee, Haeun Kim, Chaewon Lee, Juneho JO, Minjeong Kim, Youngjoon Bahng, Dabin Won
Doors and doorways have always been considered portals to another world, even if that’s just outside your house. The distinction, however, has somewhat lost its significance in modern times, with the fixed design of houses, apartments, and even neighborhoods. Sometimes all that you will see across your doorway is just another door or even a wall. Borrowing the concept of “Cha-gyeong” or “borrowing a scenery” used in traditional Korean hanok houses, this sliding display designed for doorways tries to re-invigorate your living space with something that can show any kind of world while also providing relevant information as you go out or come in.
Majung is a display appliance concept that involves a tall translucent screen that slides in and out of a slatted base; no rollable screens needed. When retracted, it can show a simple message and minimal information like the time and the temperature. When it slides out, it can convey a lot more, including schedules, photos, or even your smart home’s floor plan to turn appliances on or off. More importantly, however, it can show a glimpse of the outside world, whether that location is actually outside your door or in another country or even another planet.
The idea is to create a more meaningful separation between interior and exterior spaces, visually and functionally. The doorway screen can display your appointments and the weather before you step out, and it can greet you with messages and photos when you return. It can also become a privacy screen, shielding you from visitors even after they’ve stepped through the physical door while greeting them at the same time.
Majung is an intriguing concept that might not be that difficult to pull off with today’s technologies, but its practical applications are admittedly limited by modern house designs. It works best if there’s a narrow doorway leading to and from your living area, something that’s no longer common in many house designs, especially those in apartments and condominiums. Still, it’s an avenue worth investigating, especially with the increasing number of screens in our homes, since at least one of them should be useful enough to be our virtual doorway between our worlds, both indoors and outdoors.
