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Enter the VORTEX...

1024 Architecture blends wooden elements with modern technology at former barracks

by Sian 01 December 2014
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    1024 Architecture has completed an animated sculpture at the Darwin Ecosystem Project in Bordeaux, France, blending organic materials with the latest technology to create a dynamic feature for this sustainable business hub.

    Created in 2012, the Darwin Ecosystem Project is a redeveloped barracks in Bordeaux where abandoned buildings have been reinvented to provide offices for approximately forty businesses. The development fosters collaboration between firms of a similar intention, with a central courtyard providing a communal meeting spot.

    The VORTEX scheme by 1024 Architecture is a light sculpture where scaffolding and raw wooden elements are wrapped around the footbridge between the two main buildings. This arches across the central courtyard and creates a powerful focus point.

    12 LED strips are integrated into the form and can be operated using 1024 Architecture’s MadMapper software and a joystick, bringing VORTEX to life with a colourful light show. This can be set to music or used to demonstrate the consumption of the building users.

    The team explains: “It ultimately answers to the ambient environment around it, capturing the Darwin Ecosystem Project’s unique energy consumption footprint, and converting it into data that is processed to spawn realtime visuals.” 

    The WAN Wood in Architecture Award is now open for entries.


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