Choi+Shine Architects' colossal crochet structures blend handcraft and community
Amsterdam-based Choi+Shine Architects, founded in 2003 by Jin Choi and Thomas Shine, creates large-scale crochet installations that transform public spaces. Their works, such as 'The Urchins' (Marina Bay, Singapore, 2017), 'The Lace' (Amsterdam Light Festival, 2016), and 'Distance' (Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art, 2025), use crochet as a structural system rather than mere decoration. The studio involves community volunteers in workshops to produce the panels, blending digital modeling with handcraft. Earlier conceptual project 'The Land of Giants' (2010) proposed human-shaped electrical pylons for Iceland. Their practice explores how infrastructure can carry human presence, with crochet becoming spatial, structural, and collective.
Key facts
- Choi+Shine Architects was founded in 2003 by Jin Choi and Thomas Shine.
- The studio is based in Amsterdam.
- Their crochet installations include 'The Urchins', 'The Lace', 'The Trees', 'The Power of One', 'The Feather', and 'The Berlin'.
- 'The Urchins' was installed at Marina Bay, Singapore in 2017.
- 'The Lace' was installed for Amsterdam Light Festival in 2016 over the Herengracht.
- 'Distance' was created for the Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art in 2025.
- The studio's 2010 proposal 'The Land of Giants' reimagined electrical transmission towers as human-shaped pylons for Iceland.
- Community volunteers participate in workshops to crochet panels for the installations.
Entities
Artists
- Jin Choi
- Thomas Shine
Institutions
- Choi+Shine Architects
- Hangzhou Triennial of Fiber Art
- Zhejiang Art Museum
- China Academy of Art
- Amsterdam Light Festival
- Landsnet
Locations
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Singapore
- Marina Bay
- Hangzhou
- China
- Iceland
- Brussels
- Palais de Justice
- Herengracht
- Norway