About Pneuhaus:
Atmosphere was collective focusing designed and fabricated by Pneuhaus. Pneuhaus is a design on the mastery of all things inflatable. With expertise in both materials and methods we create spatial designs, temporary structures, contemporary art and large-scale immersive environments. As architects, designers, engineers, and artists, they collaborate on new forms, new ideas and new ways to define and redefine public space in ways they hope to be joyful and inspiring.
Could you give us information about your installation form, which is th dynamic light labyrinth?
Atmosphere is an immersive light installation which isolates the sun’s rays into architectural elements in space. Light and air, two substances which permeate our everyday environment on a massive scale, are isolated in this installation. As the sun’s angle changes in relation to the structure, viewers are presented with a dynamic labyrinth of light.
From the outside, Atmosphere is a large inflatable structure in the shape of an angled cone. The form maximizes the amount of available surface area that sunlight will hit on any given day. Inside, fog is mixed into the pressurized space which provides a particulate for the planes of light to be caught by. The light rays seem physical. Visitors walk around and touch the light but can also pass right through them. Over the course of the day, the walls of light shift their position and angle as the sun’s arc progresses through the sky.
How would you describe the relationship between the material you use in your artworks with the fiction?
Atmosphere is welded together out of opaque 70 denier TPU coated nylon fabric. Clear PVC is welded in specific seams to separate the panels and let in a small amount of light. The Please list the name and title of each person who contributed to this project patterning of the envelope minimizes the number of unique pieces that have to be cut. Taking after the topological properties of carbon bonds, the structure consists of entirely equal edge length polygons (200 hexagons, 4 heptagons, 4 pentagons). Pentagons are placed at the tip of the cone, creating a concavity, while heptagons are placed where the tunnel intersects the cone, allowing for a convex junction to form.
You mentioned that visitors walk around and touch the light but can also pass right through them. Did you get the perception you expected as a feedback from the visitors?
Yes, there was an amazing reaction from visitors. They immediately reacted with the light as if it was physical, moving their hand in front of it and standing in the middle of rays. We knew it would work when we made one of the mockups and our cat walked up to a beam of light and sniffed it as if it was solid. One thing we didn’t expect was the surprise when someone entered and saw the rays of light. In hindsight, it’s obvious because there’s no hint of the experience on the outside. It was exciting to see the shock and awe when people entered.
Project Facts:
Project: Atmosphere
Location: Mobile
Size: 60ft Long, 30ft Wide, 30ft Tall
Designer: Pneuhaus
Pneuhaus Team: Design: Levi Bedall, August Lehrecke, and Matthew Muller. Zachary Weindel; Fabrication: Levi Bedall, August Lehrecke, Matthew Muller, Zachary Weindel
Website: http://pneu.haus/projects/atmosphere
Interview: Özlem Kan