Crystallized
SOFTlab
This project was completed for the Melissa Store in Soho and is inspired by their winter collection Starwalker. The ordered asymmetry of the crystalline structure produces an immersive installation that looks different from every angle. We took advantage of the irregularities in the overall form of the installation to turn Melissa’s NYC store into a kaleidoscope of color and light. By cladding the complex aluminum structure with dichroic acrylic, the piece changes color and reflectivity as visitors move around it. By lighting the pieces from within, the large crystalline structures cast colored light onto the white store using it as a canvas.
The structure is lightweight compared to its large volume. Using the principles of both crystal growth and soap bubbles the piece appears to have grown in the store. Overall the structure is made of over 50 unique cells and over 400 pieces of custom cut aluminum. Although the pieces are all flat they come together to form a complex three dimensional assembly. All of the parts were labeled and the individual cells were pre-assembled off site and then combined in the store. The dichroic acrylic was used in tandem with this cell like structure to take advantage of the variation in panel angles. The dichroic film causes interference in light depending on the angle of view creating planes in a range of color much like light passing through a crystal.
Project Type: Interior Installation
Completed: 2015
Location: New York, NY
Team: Liz Kelsey, Michael Szivos, Ryan Whitby, Troy Zezula
Photos: Alan Tansey