A-Z Wagon Stations

The design and concept of the A-Z Wagon Station is inspired by two different eras of "wagons."  Similar to a covered wagon the "A-Z Wagon Station" is intended to house possessions and provide a membrane against the elements. But the scale of the "Wagon Station" is actually derived from the dimensions of a standard sized station wagon, which we feel provides just the minimum space needed to create privacy and comfort for the occupant.  Although the Wagon station doesn’t have wheels, the entire station breaks down into five sections and can be transported to almost any location and reassembled by two people in only an hour or two.   The "A-Z Wagon Station" reflects the qualities that we believe create independence for the owner and user: compactness, adaptability and transportability.

The original pioneering spirit of the "frontier" considered autonomy and self-sufficiency as prerequisites of personal freedom.  Here at A-Z West we are continuing to investigate how such perceptions of freedom have been re-adapted for contemporary living. We believe that, presently, personal liberation is more often achieved through individual attempts to "slip between the cracks". Instead of building big ranches and permanent homesteads, today's independence seekers prefer small portable structures, which evade the regulatory control of bureaucratic restrictions such as building and safety codes.

The A-Z Wagon Stations will open at the Milwaukee Art Museum in March of 2003: