Skystation ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱵᱮᱸᱪ by Peter Newman is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ in ᱜᱟᱰᱟ ᱯᱷᱟᱨᱱᱤᱪᱟᱨ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ Competition Category.

ᱨᱩᱯᱟᱜᱟᱰᱟ ᱯᱷᱟᱨᱱᱤᱪᱟᱨ· 2023

Skystation ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱵᱮᱸᱪ

by Peter Newman

Client: Peter Newman Studio

A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ Winner in ᱜᱟᱰᱟ ᱯᱷᱟᱨᱱᱤᱪᱟᱨ Category

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Verified Award Winner
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View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Skystation ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱵᱮᱸᱪ

Skystation ᱫᱚ ᱢᱤᱫ ᱥᱟᱹᱜᱟᱹᱭᱤᱡ ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱨᱵᱚᱡᱚᱱᱤᱱ ᱫᱩᱲᱩᱵ ᱡᱟᱜᱟ ᱦᱚᱸ ᱮᱢᱟᱭ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱨᱩᱯᱨᱮᱠᱷᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱛᱤᱨᱤᱭᱚᱜ ᱢᱟᱹᱱᱢᱤ ᱦᱚᱲᱢᱚ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱚᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱪᱤᱱᱛᱟ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱩᱥᱠᱟᱹᱣᱟᱭ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱫᱩᱲᱩᱵ ᱵᱮᱵᱚᱥᱛᱟ ᱫᱚ NASA ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ Neutral Body Posture ᱞᱮᱠᱟ ᱢᱮᱱᱟᱜᱼᱟ, ᱡᱟᱦᱟᱸ ᱫᱚ ᱜᱩᱨᱩᱛᱣᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱚᱨᱥᱚ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱯᱷᱩᱨᱜᱟᱹᱞ ᱡᱚᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱦᱚᱲᱢᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ Skystation ᱫᱚ ᱥᱟᱨᱵᱚᱡᱚᱱᱤᱱ ᱡᱟᱜᱟ ᱨᱮ ᱛᱤᱸᱜᱩᱱ, ᱪᱤᱱᱛᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱥᱟᱹᱜᱟᱹᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱢᱚᱣᱠᱟ ᱛᱮᱭᱟᱨᱟᱭ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱱᱟᱶᱟ ᱪᱤᱱᱛᱟᱹᱫᱷᱟᱨᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱨᱩᱯ ᱠᱟᱹᱢᱤ ᱞᱮᱠᱟᱛᱮ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜᱼᱟ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱽᱱᱟ ᱠᱷᱚᱱ ᱩᱫᱩᱜ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱚᱠᱚᱭᱟᱜ ᱮᱴᱟᱜ ᱚᱨᱥᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱵᱟᱝ ᱵᱟᱲᱟᱭ ᱦᱚᱲ ᱛᱟᱞᱟᱨᱮ ᱨᱚᱲ ᱦᱩᱭᱩᱜ ᱟᱹᱰᱤ ᱞᱟᱹᱡᱟᱹᱣᱟᱹᱱᱟ ᱵᱮᱱᱟᱣᱟ᱾

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ

Skystation ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱵᱮᱸᱪ ᱫᱚ A' Design Award ᱨᱩᱯᱟ ᱯᱩᱨᱚᱥᱠᱟᱨ ᱧᱟᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱᱟ, ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱫᱚ ᱥᱩᱱᱫᱚᱨ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱠᱚ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱮᱢ ᱟᱠᱟᱱ ᱥᱚᱢᱟᱱ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾ ᱱᱚᱶᱟ ᱠᱚ ᱫᱚ ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱᱟᱨ ᱠᱚ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱵᱷᱟᱵᱱᱟ ᱟᱨ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱠᱟᱢᱤ ᱡᱷᱟᱞᱠᱟᱣ ᱠᱚ᱾ Skystation ᱢᱩᱨᱛᱤ ᱵᱮᱸᱪ ᱫᱚ ᱠᱚᱞᱟ, ᱣᱤᱜᱭᱟᱱ, ᱰᱤᱡᱟᱭᱤᱱ ᱟᱨ ᱴᱮᱠᱱᱚᱞᱚᱡᱤ ᱨᱮᱭᱟᱜ ᱥᱤᱢᱟ ᱵᱟᱲᱦᱟᱣ ᱟᱨ ᱫᱩᱱᱤᱭᱟ ᱵᱷᱟᱞᱟᱭ ᱞᱟᱹᱜᱤᱫ ᱜᱚᱲᱚ ᱮᱢ ᱠᱟᱱᱟ᱾

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

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