project brief & challenges—
The Columbia Center Project was a design concept requiring three unique light sculptures in three atriums within the lobby of the Columbia Center Building. These sculptures could be viewed 360º around across three floors. They would receive generative weather data and output media related to the weather. The concept was to make one LED fixture that could be installed in (3) distinctly different configurations, diagonal, horizontal and vertical. The time-frame from concept to prototype development to final installation was a very tight two months.
Our solution to this challenge was to work with our local fabrication and engineering partner in Brooklyn NY to manufacture a 360º viewable 15mm pitch, fully addressable LED strip, housed in high-temperature-resistant diffused acrylic. This unit was mechanically designed to accept structural rigging points from either-end and to be fully replaceable as a single unit. We installed an overhead rigging structure for each sculpture which was designed to accommodate difficult installation logistics, house power and data components and to provide simple serviceability for the life of the installation.
