THEVERYMANY crafts the seemingly floating 'pillars of dreams'

a result of the vision and craft of MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY, a cloud-like formation hovers in charlotte, north carolina. ‘pillars of dreams’ is a landmark pavilion and lightweight structure. while its porous volumes seem to float on air, each is supported by a continuous structural skin in ultra-thin aluminum. a labyrinth of components unfurl across each surface in two layers, producing apertures across the canopy and contracting where the double-curvature meets at seams or resolves into one of nine hollow columns. the complex canopy generates an implied interior transformed with rhythmic shadows and staggering light.

all images by NAARO

MARC FORNES / THEVERYMANY introduce a continuation of the aggregated spheres typical of the studio’s prototypical structures. with ‘pillars of dreams,’ these components are thrust into the air. rising 26 feet overhead, they appear to float like balloons. while the volumes are not supported by helium nor by a secondary structure, the skin that stretches over the balloon-like aggregate is self-supporting. the intricate patterning of the two-layer, 3 millimeter surface negotiates between the large areas of double curvature and the intensive, or constrained curvature of the tube-like columns.

surfaces expressed in two color palettes comprise the two faces of the ultra-thin skin. segmentation is the process of decomposing a three-dimensional mesh into linear or non-linear stripes. produced by parallel agent-based search protocol, the non-linear stripes are the result of the indecisive behavior of the agents, which change their attitudes in tight turns. as they come together at seams and make their way to the ground, they find alignment as linear stripes. across the ballooning expanses, they express the recursive quality of the computational description. bifurcations and splits in the pattern tighten and spread to produce porosity. like bubblegum blown just to the point of popping, the skin becomes thinner and more open across the wider expanses of the spheres, allowing light to come through. where the volumes merge, the stripes between them become more densely packed, lending to the structural performance.

the white exterior face shrouds the saturated colors of the interior. openings in the veil suggest the the energy inside, where cross-laminated stripes in a set of bright hues peek out from the interior. from a distance, the structure strikes a soft tone, but the viewer can still register the pulsing glow of the gradient within. it catches the eye from the street, but must be approached to be understood. the intensity of color grows as one nears the pavilion and finally envelopes the viewer upon entry.

the white exterior face shrouds the saturated coloration on the interior. openings in the veil suggest the the energy inside, where cross-laminated stripes in a set of bright hues peek out from the interior. from a distance, the structure strikes a soft tone, but the viewer can still register the pulsing glow of the gradient within. it catches the eye from the street but must be approached to be understood. the intensity of color grows as visitors near the pavilion and are finally enveloped upon entry.