"Railing" is the first monograph by designer Yang Shu-yuan, combining street photography, 3D modeling, and documenting his product production journey from rough models to factory production.
The book originated from his observations on the street. A flexible universal ball joint is commonly used in railings and handrails throughout Taiwan, found in parks, sports centers, sidewalks, private institutions, and even airports, forming a common yet rich public landscape.
Among these seemingly ordinary handrails and railings, the ball joint is actually an ingenious invention. Yang Shu-yuan discovered that this inconspicuous metal component possesses high adaptability, allowing local metalworkers to make various flexible changes according to local conditions, easily integrating structure and aesthetics on the same plane.
"Railing" explores the unique hardware craftsmanship hidden within Taiwan's street railing structures from designer Yang Shu-yuan's perspective. His "Railing Collection" project is not only a tribute to this ball joint but also a journey to re-examine and interpret hardware craftsmanship.
He analyzes this ball joint using the language of design, offering a rigorous and experimental perspective on its use and form, and applies these techniques and considerations to furniture design through practical implementation. The book even includes a meticulously illustrated "Production Manual for Metalworkers," and also features his aimless graphical design philosophies from his leisure time. The entire book is full of illuminating insights.
For designers and street observers, this is a work filled with subtle beauty. Printed on papers of different textures, it progressively unfolds the shaping process of objects. This book makes one ponder how to focus on what is naturally occurring, and find the essence of design in unembellished and unpolished everyday objects.
