Skystation རི་མོ་བཟོ་རྩལ་ཅན་གྱི་གདན་ས།

Press Kit

Unique Properties

Skystation is an interactive sculpture that also provides some public seating. The contours of the work are designed to fit the reclining human form and encourage contemplation of the sky.
The seating it provides is similar to what NASA calls Neutral Body Posture, which is the shape the body returns to when free from the influence of gravity. Skystation creates an opportunity for pause, reflection and interaction within the public realm. Conversations between strangers are almost inevitable.

Dimensions & Packaging

4100mm x 4100mm x 675mm

Tags

Skystation, sculpture, bench, public art, installation, seating

Production Technology

Cast aluminium bronze, brushed satin finish.
Six segments were sand cast and precision cut, to align together on a stainless steel sub-structure. Assembled together on site.

Design Challenge

To realise the design as a permanent installation required production in a material that would last a long time and was in keeping with the aesthetic of the work.
Aluminium bronze is a material used in the marine environment due to its resistance to corrosion and seems fitting in redeveloped wharf of London.
A golden disk also has a symbolic association with the sun and the sky going back to antiquity.
The colour introduces a warm tone among the cool steel that characterises the district.

Research

Real world research was done with life size seating profiles, tested by a large number of volunteers, to be as comfortable as possible to a wide range of people lying down.
The chosen profile was then spun through 360 degrees and refined into a sculpture form.
Fibreglass prototypes of the finished sculpture were installed in various public locations. This has shown the positive impact of introducing an interactive sculpture into the pubic realm. It appeals to all ages and serves as a place-making element and encourages social interaction.

Inspiration

Inspired by the LC4 chaise-longue, by Le Corbusier, Perriand and Jeanneret and the modernist idea of form follows function.
Looking upwards is inherently optimistic, and something akin to thinking about the future. Cognitive research suggests we do our best thinking lying down.

Project Duration

Permanent installation at Canary Wharf, London.

Operation Flow

The sculpture can be used for sitting and lying down by up to 12 people. Although designed with adults in mind, children find the most inventive ways to interact with the shape.

Image Credits

Image #1: Photographer Peter Newman, Skystation 2022
Image #2: Photographer Peter Newman, Skystation 2022
Image #3: Photographer Peter Newman, Skystation 2022
Image #4: Photographer Peter Newman, Skystation 2022
Image #5: Photographer Google Landsat / Copernicus, Canary Wharf 2022