A quartet of Christie Q Series projectors have enabled a stunning ‘talking sculpture’ to be realised as part of a winning design installation at global engineering firm Arup that incorporated AV as a dynamic element. ‘Heart of Arup’ by DaeWha Kang Design – 2016’s successful entry of the annual ‘No.8@Arup’ competition – is a unique structure which incorporates Arup’s digital social network stream into a creative audio-visual installation. Christie’s Q-Series projectors are utilised to project multiple social media posts from Arup’s Yammer stream onto cable-suspended acrylic ‘leaves’ of the sculpture, which has been installed at the company’s spacious atrium area in London. This innovative concept takes the digital thoughts, expertise and insights of Arup employees from the virtual world and brings them into a visible reality.
The installation – located at No.8 Fitzroy Street – can be seen from an array of public spaces and working areas within the building, and it reflects the many daily interactions taking place between the company’s offices around the world in an engaging and accessible format. With best-in-class brightness, Christie’s Q Series projectors are able to tackle the atrium’s challenging environment – a light, spacious and airy space – and deliver precise clarity and vivid colours. As the industry’s highest quality dual-lamp 1DLP projection solution, the Q Series combines versatility, affordability and performance, making it an ideal for this application. Their ultra-quiet operation, low profile design and excellent reliability also ensure the focus remains solely on the installation’s appealing aesthetic.
“We loved everything about this project. From the way the winning idea incorporated AV to make a ‘talking sculpture’ to the collaboration between so many parties involved in design and installation. In fact, the whole way this project developed was a great example of that, and a rewarding process. The Heart of Arup gave us the challenge of projecting onto hanging pieces of acrylic in a central well flooded with daylight so we needed projection that was very bright, with good image quality that would run continuously for extended periods of time,” said James Belso, senior sales manager, Christie, UK and Nordics.
The design further encourages employees to engage via the company’s Yammer platform, and this interactive audio-visual element captured the imagination during the judging phase for the competition. The dynamic sculpture was delivered by a multidisciplinary team at Arup, led by Laura Sims, with materials and additional expertise from Base Structures, MEC, Aalco and White Light. It will now remain in-situ over the coming months, and it has already become a major talking point among staff and visitors alike. The installation has been designed with the potential to be incorporated into a more permanent feature stair within the atrium, envisioning a fully integrated digital and physical space.
