the sound of blooming is a moving installation made up of 697 red flowers in taichung

luxurylogico has released a documentary about the making of ‘the sound of blooming’ – a moving installation which was debuted during the taichung world floral expo in 2018. the short film documents the design and construction process of the artwork, featuring interviews with chief designers kun-ying lin, geng-hwa chang, and chih-chien chen. built in the form of a hydrangea flower measuring 15 meters in diameter and comprised of 697 fiery red flowers, the installation draws inspiration from nature and floral blossoms. 

the design process of ‘the sound of blooming’ was highly complex, integrating specialists from a number of different backgrounds. the spirit of co-creation between technologists and artists is at the core of the installation. with the combined efforts of luxurylogico, taichung city government and 12 local companies, it took 8 months to complete the work. a truss system was constructed to support all 697 flower units, each made from 250 motor, lighting and audio components.

at first, the installation appears as a gigantic sphere with red flower buds waiting to bloom. standing or lying beneath the dome, visitors are immersed in the sight and sound of flowers blooming. it reacts to the surrounding natural sound field, coming to life when it senses sound in close proximity. then the mechanical petals unfold, interplaying with the sunlight during the day, or the electronic lighting at night. ‘the sound of blooming’ won the golden pin design award 2019 design mark and it is shortlisted for the best design prize, which will be announced at the award ceremony in taipei on december 5, 2019.

project info:

project name: the sound of blooming

location: taichung, taiwan

design: kun-ying lin, geng-hwa chang, chih-chien chen

documentary by: luxurylogico

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: lynne myers | designboom