Whyixd · CLIENT: Whyixd
Heaven Bloom is a kinetic installation placed in the lobby of a building inspired by nature in Taichung City, Taiwan. The work is composed of 144 mechanical metal flowers made of aluminium and stainless steel. Different finishes were applied to the metal to create special textures and colours. Each flower contains more than 50 mechanical components and is driven by a motor. The flowers open out of the wall surface and sway to the background music. Four melodies relate to the four seasons, so the moving flowers form a near-natural scene indoors.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The work hangs on a building constructed by GoldenJade development corporation, along with WOHA, a singapore-based firm. The building itself is inspired by nature and led to the idea of creating an installation that imitates flowers. Whyixd intended to sow the seeds of the flowers into the concrete wall, blooming out of the surface and becoming a dynamic piece. The 144 mechanical metal flowers sway to the rhythm of the lobby’s background music.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Each flower of size 340mm x 330mm x 120mm, when closed, opens to a size of 340mm x 360mm x 160mm in full bloom.
- Tags
- Kinetic Sculpture, Art, Installation, Interior design, Public Art
- Production Technology
- Each flower of the work is consist of more than 50 pieces mechanical components .
The installation used aluminium and stainless steel, different finishes were applied to metal in order to produce special textures and colors . And motors drive the mechanical to operate. - Design Challenge
- The installation was set up on 7 meter-high marble facade so we need to cooperate with the construction company,such as cutting marble holes at precise position, installing wires behind the wall. And it is very challenging to develop the software system to control 144 motors at the same time. In the end, we develop a customized interface for generating motion for all the kinetic flowers in real-time.
- Project Duration
- The project started in April 2017 and finished in August 2019 , and was positioned in the lobby of a building by Golden Jade Development Corp. in Taichung City, Taiwan.
- Operation Flow
- The installations are set to four different melodies corresponding to the four seasons the ambient sounds collected from endemic species in Taiwan. Different patterns and movements allow the blooming flowers create a near-natural mesmeric scenario indoors, freezing moments in time, building a simulation of a unique phenomena in nature.
- Research
- The study of the shape of Nanhu Rhododendron, the blooming movement of the flowers.We made different versions of motors and mechanical design to improve the mechanical smoothness.
- Inspiration
- The work is inspired by the special plant "Nanhu Rhododendron", which only grows in one of 100 mountain peaks in Taiwan "Nanhu Mountain". The Nanhu Rhododendron is adaptive in extreme climate on high mountains—it appears rusty yellow color before it blooms.However, when it’s in full bloom the flower appears like white snowflakes all over around the mountain peak.
We believe that this work could bear any poor conditions but still bloom elegantly, responding to the vitality of Taiwan. - Image Credits
- Design:Whyixd
Client:Golden Jade Construction
Sound Design: Ami Tseng , Hsu Tzu-Chuan
Video Directed,Photographed & Edited:Liu Che Chun
Photography:Koumin Lee
Press releases are available in 1 languages.