Archive for July, 2005
These guys have had some great projects working as a consultancy and research group looking at the communicative potential of architecture using digital systems.
As part of the commission for the conception for the thorough integration of media technology into the architecture for the Kunsthaus Graz in Austria (see project Kunsthaus Graz) , real:United designed the award winning “communicative display skin” BIX for the building. Using standard industrial fluorescent light tubes BIX transforms the outer biomorphic skin of the building, which is constructed out of translucent blue acrylic glass panels, into a low resolution grey scale computer display. Watch their Video Documentation of the Project
Also check out their Augmented Reality installation “multi mind” (mm).
mm is an installation with a network of 33 mobile and stationary computers. mm explores concepts around future interpersonal communication systems. mm as a working-platform creates a prototype of a possible technological-cultural development-tool. mm as an instrument is driven by active participation of the visitors. Watch the Video Documentation of the Project.
Visit realities:united Website and Multi Mind Website
July 27th, 2005
VITAL SIGNS, LIBERTY SCIENCE CENTER
In collaboration with: Batwin+Robin, Sawad Brooks/OPENWORK, Paul Yarin/BLACKDUST). Vital Signs is an interactive installation designed to disseminate breaking news about science to visitors in the museum. A continuous and permeable moebius strip of LEDs interspersed with projections would allow visitors to view streaming information from all sides of the atrium. A simple ladder-rung structure consists of an outer aluminum edge rail joined together by intermittent rungs. Plexi ribs supporting the LED’s and translucent plexi projection surfaces span between the edge rails. Visitors can dynamically select topics or upload information from various points along the mezanine handrails.
July 24th, 2005
Kinetic Light Sculpture of the Zeilgalerie is a permanent installation on the facade of the Zeilgalerie in Frankfurt and was finished along with the building in September 1992.
During the day, the perforated surface of the sheet metal, which is in front of the blue facade of the building, remains grey and reserved and only oscillates through the play of daylight. When dusk begins to fall, however, it transforms itself into blue-yellow floating figures, which change colors like a chameleon depending on their surroundings, the prevailing weather conditions.
0 degree centigrade 
8 degree centigrade 
18 degree centigrade
Three groups of lights - a total number of 120 HQI spots - shine from the inside and outside on to the perforated sheet-metal surface in front of the building’s wall. They beam upwards and downwards through the surface with a varying degree of yellow. Temperature, wind, and rain both act as a constant function of time and are the parameters of the light sculpture, which changes in real time.
The overall image is directed by a computer terminal and a weather station on top of the building: the ambient temperature (variables: 0-30 degrees Centigrade) determines the amount of yellow on the blue wall. The yellow patches move in line with the direction of the wind from left to right or vice versa. Wind speed governs how fast they move over the surface. Rain substitutes for wind and causes patches of yellow to fall vertically.
The upper area of the facade is crossed horizontally by the wide, rapidly changing line graphic (LED-Display 4m x 20m) that visualizes the degree of noise made by the passers-by in real-time.
July 21st, 2005
One of my favourite Architects at the moment here’s Son-O-House by NOX
Located in a a large industrial park the Son-O-House is a public pavilion where visitors can sit around, eat their lunch and have meetings, surrounded by IT related companies.
The structure is both an architectural and a sound installation that allows people to not just hear sound in a musical structure, but also to participate in the composition of the sound. It is an instrument, score and studio at the same time.
A sound work, made by composer Edwin van der Heide, is continuously generating new sound patterns activated by sensors picking up actual movements of visitors.
Visit NOX Website
July 19th, 2005
Having just finished reading Content a very fun and insightful book I thought I’d see what else Rem Koolhaas had to say for himself.
We’ve all heard of The Office for Metropolitan Architecture, the architectural equivalent of MIT – a hot-house research laboratory, the alumni of which include Foreign Office Architects, Zaha Hadid and a significant percentage of the Dutch avant-garde.
The data- and programme-driven architecture practiced by these former students, and which is very much in the ascendancy, was perfected and codified here under Koolhaas’ critical gaze, here’s an interesting interview…
ICON 13 - Rem Koolhaas - Interview
Here’s a little content.
July 17th, 2005
I’m really interested in other peoples opinions at the moment, probably because I’ve just spent the last year trying to develop my own opinions and lost sight a little of my peers. Winning the Innovation Award at Submerge this year has put a real spring in my step so for the next few days I’m sitting back and enjoying reading and listening to Interviews of well known architects and theoreticians. Always good to reflect.
Here’s a whole bunch of interviews from Design Boom from guys like Hani Rashid, Peter Eisenman, Peter Cook, Ben van Berkel, Daniel Libeskind, John Maeda, Ron Arad
July 12th, 2005
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