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Installed in January 2021, Current Conditions is the signature piece of public art in the New Public Service Building by Henning Larsen and MSR Architects in the heart of Minneapolis.
Tristan Al-Haddad of Formations Studio and Adam Rixey of SESCO Lighting teamed up to create an interactive light art installation that is controlled and transformed by changing weather patterns. Remaining true to Al-Haddad’s signature theme of “creating visceral experiential sensations and exploring concepts of matter-energy transformations,” the mesmerizing sculpture displays a different lighting effect each day according to weather conditions.
Color Kinetics luminaires were selected for their ability to meet the stringent standards of the LEED Platinum building, and to provide uniquely addressable color-changing nodes tucked into tight-spaces, as required for the project. Color Kinetics FlexElite IntelliHue (490 nodes) delivered a royal blue-purple color and saturated color gamut desired for the art concept. The nodes were mounted in a 457 x 457 mm (18 x 18 in) grid to the back side of a plywood ceiling panel using a custom mounting fixture to achieve an effect that resembles a pixel in a matrix.
“Tristan Al-Haddad leading his talented team at Formations Studio have repeatedly blended creative art structures with modern, color-changing lighting. When selecting options for the Current Conditions tight-profile mounting, Tristan’s vision needed the Color Kinetics FlexElite IntelliHue fixtures to deliver reliable, individually addressable, low-profile, and saturated color-changing light nodes.” – Adam Rixey, SESCO Lighting
Client:
City of Minneapolis
Lighting Designer:
Adam Rixey at SESCO Lighting and Tristan Al-Haddad at Formations Studio
Architect:
Tristan Al-Haddad, Henning Larson, and MSR Architects
Certified System Integrator:
Adam Rixey at SESCO Lighting
Electrical Contractor:
Premiere Electrical
