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Pergola is a kinetic installation constituted of an elevated steal frame supporting rotating squared tiles. The structure is based on modular elements;, its resolution is displayed in the title. The structure and the proportion of these subdivided modules are inspired by Mies van der Rohe’s famous Toronto Dominion Centre ceiling; in fact, the project was originally conceived for its inner court. The installation aims to render this static light architecture into a kinetic one. This kinetic ‘ceiling’ filters light up just like a pergola, hence the working title, and invites people to traverse below its ‘artificial sky’ to contemplate the light and motion pattern.
This principle is described by the concept of ‘randomOrder’ and can here be resumed to the realisation of a specific transmission gear. The horizontal grid is constituted of perpendicular rods containing tiles which can spin around their axis. The spinning behaviour is based, on the one hand, on a specific gear and, on the other, specific software forming a combination of analogue (mechanical) and digital logics.
The gear allows clockwise rotation, leading to a regular positioning of the elements, and counter-clockwise rotation, leading to an irregular and individual positioning of the elements. The generative software increases variation within the regular positioning of the elements through the random combination of geometric pre-sets and rhythm. As such, patterns of order and disorder are created.
The installation design originates from an idea to create a temporal architecture casting a contemporary light on urban space, transforming it into a space as much for social exchange as for contemplation. Likewise ‘pergola’ is an architectural 'follie', a kiosk, constructed for no particular use other than the making of place and, what Michel Foucault would call a 'heterotypes', a space that is 'different' and creates a meaningful interruption in the continuum of everyday space.
The project first has been designed for Luminato festival, Toronto, to be realised in the inner court of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Dominion Centre. It has been afterwards adapted to Centre Gorge Pompidou at Metz;. Today only a temporary installation of 9 modules has been produced having taken the shape of a travalling kiosk. --> see installations.
