Week 13 – Presentation and Pitch

With a focus on movement, perspective and a dash of playfulness, the installation, “Movement of Colour” aims to create an inviting and bold environment for users to interpret through movement.

Ideally situated in the heart of Auckland, the installation is site specific to the re-designed foyer space of the St. James Theatre. Built in the late 1920’s the theatre is heritage listed due to its historical, architectural and aesthetic values.

 “Movement of Colour” is an immersive passageway connecting two busy pedestrian routes, Queen street and Lorne street. The space is filled with a series of large structural forms moulded around each other creating a sort of maze-like effect. Extruding down from the ceiling, these forms interfere with easy movement through the space making the user think consciously about how they move through. They may have to duck, crawl, sidestep or maybe they can walk straight under.

The concept of perspective was important throughout the design. As well as instigating movement I also wanted the space to feel playful and to ignite in the viewer a sense of childlike exuberance. Perspective was a way I could help create this reaction in people, a child’s perspective. When you’re a child you’re smaller than most of the built environments around you, you are constantly looking up at the world and everything seems exaggerated and exciting. Through placing my design on the ceiling of the foyer with it extending downwards I was able to mimic this sense of childlike perspective for any user of the space. An uneven floor surface further plays on the aspects of movement and playfulness, creating slopes that cause your way of moving to be constantly interrupted and questioned.

The works of Liz West have helped inspire and inform the design, specifically her pieces “Our Colour Reflection” and “Through no.3”. Her bold use of colour inspired me from the beginning as well as her exploration of reflections and use of light. Many of West’s installations require you to move or interact with them in specific ways whilst some create the option for freedom of movement in a designed environment. All these elements work to create spaces that are unique and individual experiences which I aim to emulate in this design.  

This project itself is site specific but I think it would be interesting to see how it could be developed into a more interactive design of other areas of the building or even work its way to the building’s exterior. The design could be manipulated and transformed to grow into a truly immersive and interactive experience perhaps spanning several stories.