United Visual Artists are a British-based collective whose current practice spans permanent architectural installation, live performance and responsive installation. Their 'Array' installation is a field of columns set in the courtyard of the Chuya Nakahara Memorial Museum in Southern Japan.
From their website: "The columns create a field of light and sound which gently shifts in response to the viewers’ movements, via a hidden network of ultrasonic sensors. Each column is lit by a pure, shimmering white light. This forest of light calls you in, and its response to your movement invites you to explore. Inside the grid lives a spirit, in the form of a single pure red light. This spirit is timid but often playful, revealing itself boldly then disappearing."
The installation is a really interesting way of getting people to interact with space and uses of all of their senses. It must be pretty cool when it is pitch black and you only have the noise and the lights to guide you through this "forest".
I am a sucker for flashy 3d renderings and architectural graphics and Paris based Luxigon is a an architectural visualization company that is pretty good at it.
Architects at the University of Stuttgart are researching the elasticity of trees and how they can grow around steel supports with the idea of that they could be used as a natural building material.
Their "baubotanical" tower is 9 meters high and has a base of 8 square meters. The structure is made up of hundreds of white willows, which at the moment are supported by a metal scaffolding. The scaffolding is expected to be removed in 8 to 10 years, when the willow should be able to support itself and 3 metal platforms.
Should these methods be successful, trees could be used to build towers, platforms or bridges like those erected by the War-Khasis people in the Meghalaya forests of India.
By guiding the roots of rubber trees they are able to build bridges that span over 30 meters and which can hold the weight of up to 50 people. Because the bridges are living, they grow gradually stronger over time and can even repair themselves.
Another cool map of New York based on the different smells that can be experienced when walking through Manhattan. The interactive version is available here.
I hap a stop over at the Singapore airport this week, only a quick one mind you, but I was determined to make the most of my 30 minutes of relative freedom from my economy seat.
On the descent to the airport I was hoping to maybe get a glimpse of Gardens By the Bay from above, but being sat in the middle of the plane, I could not see much of what was going on outside. Once in the terminal, I was determined to somehow get a glimpse of the surroundings from the airport and thought that getting to a window on the 3rd floor would be my best bet.
Once on the third floor I came across the Butterfly garden, which is a small exterior garden behind doors. Intrigued I walk in and was hit by incredible heat and moisture. Inside was a compact two-floor rainforest garden packed with butterflies.
The garden is fairly simple but is packed with features and surprises. It is centered around a waterfall and is incredibly colorful and full of flowers. Scattered throughout the garden are small platforms with cut pineapples which attract butterflies and allow a really good look at all the different species.
On the top floor there is also a section on carnivorous plants with some of biggest specimens I have ever seen. I can only assume that most of the species of plants and insects were native and I think it is a great feature to have in an airport.
I find it terribly frustrating to transit through an airport, especially in exotic locations and not be able to experience anything of the country. In so many cases it is impossible to get outdoors and I would certainly find that much more entertaining than duty free shopping. I had a second stop over in Dubai and it was close to 45 0C outside. All I wanted to do was to get out somehow and experience what 45 0C in the desert felt like.
I tried to take some photos of the garden for the blog, but it was so hot and damp that my camera steamed up immediately. By the time my camera cleared and I could take a few snaps, I had to sprint back down the terminal to make the flight, which isn’t a good idea after having spent numerous hours in a plane. It can be quite painful sprinting down a terminal with two cramped up calves.
Posts
United Visual Artists are a British-based collective whose current practice spans permanent architectural installation, live performance and responsive installation. Their 'Array' installation is a field of columns set in the courtyard of the Chuya Nakahara Memorial Museum in Southern Japan.
From their website: "The columns create a field of light and sound which gently shifts in response to the viewers’ movements, via a hidden network of ultrasonic sensors. Each column is lit by a pure, shimmering white light. This forest of light calls you in, and its response to your movement invites you to explore. Inside the grid lives a spirit, in the form of a single pure red light. This spirit is timid but often playful, revealing itself boldly then disappearing."
The installation is a really interesting way of getting people to interact with space and uses of all of their senses. It must be pretty cool when it is pitch black and you only have the noise and the lights to guide you through this "forest".
