Sydney’s Martin Place will sparkle, shimmer and deliver a new sensory experience for thousands of people this festive season thanks to a new art installation by design firm Office Feuerman delivered with the assistance of the University of Technology, Sydney.
Principal of Office Feuerman and Course Director of UTS’s Bachelor of Design in Architecture program, William Feuerman said Street Light Disco added flair to the urban streetscape.
“Every day thousands of Sydneysiders filter through Martin Place, navigating the bustle of the daily commute, Mr Feuerman said.
“Street Light Disco encourages passers-by to pause and enjoy the public space of the city. A familiar piece of city infrastructure is transformed, creating a new sensory experience while adding some sparkle to the day and night,” he said.
Launched tonight as part of the City of Sydney’s Christmas programme, Street Light Disco received research funding for prototype testing from the Centre for Contemporary Design Practices (CCDP), based at UTS’s Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building.
The Office Feuerman creative team designed a mosaic pattern constructed from a thin reflective material that is adhered to a fabric to form the banner’s surface. The material and patterning is designed to maximise reflectivity and movement from wind, transforming the surfaces of the pedestrian plaza into an interactive environment.
Sunlight hitting the banner surface projects glittering flashes of light onto the plaza. In shade, the banners pick up surrounding reflections, creating mirrored distortions of the area architecture. At night, lights shining on the banner’s moving surface produce dynamic light formations on the plaza’s surfaces.
Project managed by UTS Associate Lecturer, Endriana Audisho, Street Light Disco is part of a body of work focused on the mechanics of visual perception.
“In 2007, I suffered an acute, isolated stroke. While I did not lost my sight, my personal experience has inspired new ways of thinking about how I create, design, and think about space,” Mr Feuerman said.
“We all see differently. In this case, a neurological condition uncovered an alternate way of seeing that has begun to identify new ways of spatial thinking. As an architect, I’m in a unique position to use the experience as a base for artistic expression.”
Street Light Disco will be on display in Martin Place until 25 December 2014.