spatial practice completes site-specific kinetic installation in hong kong

spatial practice completes site-specific kinetic installation in hong kong
(above) the installation is composed of seven out-of-scale kinetic trees, between 8-13 meters tall
all images courtesy of spatial practice

motivated by the perception of hong kong being a groundless city lacking activated public space, local-based firm spatial practice has created ‘glowing trees’. the installation seeks to transform the oval atrium of the IFC mall by developing a collection of large trees that wish to catch the attention of potential users. the site’s position is a pivotal transport intersection and its mixed-use program is a point of reference for many who pass through it on a daily basis. the trees’ kinetic motion, as it moves up and down, allows for surprising effects as the pleated fabric comes to life. a spontaneous reaction is further supported by each of the tree’s playful materiality, striated color palette, and interior reflective, that lets users gaze and capture the moment.

‘we used the same methodologies for ‘glowing trees’ as with any of our other urban public projects,’ says erik amir, ‘the project encourages human interaction by going beyond the typical approach of shopping mall installations, in order to create spatial moments where visitors can truly engage.’

the trees’ kinetic motion, as it moves up and down, allows for surprising effects as the pleated fabric comes to life

the ‘glowing trees’ project aims to extend beyond the typical commercial interventions of this plaza space by taking advantage of the site as a decompression point in a very dense and generally stressful urban environment. the installation celebrates its cultural positioning by relying on the interaction of strangers with the site, allowing many to reveal the joy associated with the winter season.

the tree’s playful materiality has a striated color palette, and interior reflective forms

the ‘glowing trees’ project is composed of seven giant sized suspended cones, which take advantage of the site’s uniquely structure-free and largely open indoor public space. the installation’s choreographed up-and-down kinetic motion allows for a sculptural composition of the trees to remain in dynamic flux, forcing the passers-by to slow down to appreciate the installation. multiple access points from various levels, allow for different points of view, depending on how the installation site is approached from multiple floor levels. each tree’s striated hues are selected to become darker as it reaches the top of the form and is composed of 2,174 strips of fabric, which were hand sewn, pleated, and assembled on the form of each tree. custom-patterned hand-woven carpets provide a colorful base while hanging mirrored balls are inserted to provide a unique internalized experience inside each cone.

the movement of the trees forces the passers-by to slow down and appreciate the installation

3d printed model 

drawing diagrams 

carpet plan diagram

factory assembly

factory process detail

detail interior fabric 

detail custom carpet pattern

interior view

project info:

project name: glowing trees
location: hong kong
location: ifc oval atrium
designer: spatial practice
project team: erik amir, dora chi, jason loo, ryo otsuka 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: juliana neira | designboom