York Art Gallery

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Main concerns

Our proposals focus on the boarded up window spaces on the first floor of the gallery and the entrance area on the ground floor. We believe that the gallerie's façade will improve most, if these spaces become alive again. With our designs we want to give an illusion of space and by using animation give an impression of the different activities inside the building.

We have discussed two basic approaches: the first involves building a light element, an actual physical lamp in the form of a window to be fitted in the empty spaces and the second is based on casting light onto the façade using a projection device on the balcony.

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Proposal 1

The first proposal involves building a physical lamp in the form of a window to be fitted in the empty spaces. These windows use a flat-light printing technology with panels laminated between glass. We will design two different patterns, one semi circular and one rectangular. Different features in these patterns will be printed in electroluminescent colour and used to process the glass using various techniques like sandblasting, etching, molding or mirroring. The patterns will augment the traditional aesthetics of the architecture and at the same time give a very modern appearance through the use of animation. With the combination of processed glass and an animated flat light we want to permanently improve the look of York Art Gallery and develop a strong duality in its appearance during night and day.

It is important for us to note that no such window lamp exists as of yet and York Art Gallery would be the first building to feature such a unique design. We would therefore need an early indication from a planning officer to identify the major concerns, as we have to start prototyping and testing immediatly.

Technical information:
The installation consists of two elements: a laminated flat-light we call window lamp and an electronic driver that supplies power and controls the animation. The window lamps could be either fitted like traditional windows or surface mounted with screws into the boarded up areas. Each window lamp would be connected to one central driver unit with a cable running on the outside of the building. The driver is inside a flat IP box located on the balcony and connected to a power supply. The rectangular window lamps weigh about 30kg while the semi circular weigh about 20kg.

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Proposal 2

The second approach is based on casting light onto the façade using a projection device on the balcony. We will construct a piece of lighting equipment used for demonstrating both plays of light and manifestations of movement. It produces various optical phenomena which result from the interaction of light and matter that will be projected onto the empty window spaces in the first floor. The work is only visible in darkness and does not permanently affect the appearance of the gallery like our first proposal.

Technical information:
The installation consists of a set of networked projection boxes the size of a slide projector. Between three and five of these projectors are situated on the balcony opposite the empty window spaces and connected to a power supply. The mechanics of the installation would not change the façade of the gallery.

-- HiazHhzz - 07 Nov 2004

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