The tube in place had the proportions of a tree trunk, except for the height which we extended from two to six meters. We found the metaphor of a tree very suitable and attractive. As if it were a meeting place on the central square of a village, with a large tree in the middel. The airco provides fresh air to space just like trees provide us with oxygen. We used a graphic representations of branches, and gave them a extrusion sweep in the computer in order to transform the object into a monumental and dynamic sculptur. The Airconditioning which is usually hidden away becomes the absolute centerpiece of the space.

Elle Deco March 2004

‘…in the First Class lounge champagne bar, Frank Tjepkema has turned a lowering air-conditioning vent into a sculptural, abstract fibreglass tree with goldleaf edging. Conjuring up images of a tree at the heart of an italian-style piazza…’