A 'Pulsating' Installation of Light and Color

John Hill
6. 十二月 2017
Photo: Michele d'Ottavio, courtesy of Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo

The installation's two parts are found at the top of the tower, one inside and one outside the crown, where a greenhouse is located. Per a press release from Migliore+Servetto, the "two elements [are] shaped on the basis of the 'alpha' symbol," which "generates a spiral movement shifting from the interior to the exterior of the skyscraper." The exterior portion is made of flexed fiberglass strings, while the interior section, the focus here, is made up of plastic fins suspended in a vortex-like composition.

​The two-part installation was created as part of Turin's annual Luca d'Artista event, which bathes the city in colorful lights for the holidays; Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo is a sponsor and therefore made its new building a part of the celebration.

The exterior portion (Photo: Michele d'Ottavio, courtesy of Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo)
The interior section (Photo: Michele d'Ottavio, courtesy of Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo)

Although the interior portion is visible from outside of the tower, it is best seen up close, inside the greenhouse. Public access is available; according to Renzo Piano's website, this "bioclimatic greenhouse, naturally ventilated, welcomes the public on three levels: the restaurant with the garden, the exhibition hall and the roof terrace." The colorful panels, made from methacrylate sheets, are hung from a secondary structure afixed to the tower's exposed roof trusses.

Photo: Michele d'Ottavio, courtesy of Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo
Photo: Michele d'Ottavio, courtesy of Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo

It's worth quoting Migliore+Servetto at length when it comes to the lighting and materiality of the interior installation:

Advanced silk-screen printing technology that uses an algorithm was applied to suspended methacrylate sheets to optimize the diffusion of the light, transforming transparent sheets into dynamic planes of light. In addition, a special dichroic film calendered on one side of each sheet pulverizes the light into a hundred reflections within the space, bringing the installation to life during the day with a strong presence. The lighting is based on LED sources with low energy consumption, and is controlled by a DMX system in order to create suggestive settings. In fact, the DMX system allows for a variation in the intensity of the light during the different moments of the day by modulating the brightness according to the level of light in the space, paying particular attention to the monitoring of consumption.

Photo: Michele d'Ottavio, courtesy of Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo
Photo: Michele d'Ottavio, courtesy of Grattacielo Intesa Sanpaolo

As can be seen in the photos here, Ico Migliore and Mara Servetto's contribution to Luci d'Artista aims to please both during the day and after the sun goes down. Their installation was switched on November 20, while the Luci d'Artista event runs until 18 January 2018.

Sketch by Ico Migliore

此类别的其他文章