Positioned discreetly within the core of each wall is a motion sensor camera that detects and captures visitor and patients' movement.
Photo courtesy of PROJECT ONE Studio
ACRYLITE® Captures Patient Motion in Transformative Art Installation
Hospitals bring out an array of emotions in people, but the designers of this reactive art installation demonstrate how their work can also offer comfort and healing, especially when individuals become part of the artistic experience.
Eskenazi Health in Indianapolis, IN commissioned a project involving six elevator lobby feature walls in their outpatient care center. Design principals Kyle Perry and Adam Beunte of PROJECT ONE Studio created Temporal Synapse - a media installation integrating ACRYLITE® acrylic, LED lighting and computer programming to conceptually interpret and display the physical movements as brain waves by all that pass by. Each wall is transformed into a dynamic lighting element, visually representing the flow of data through our nervous system. The design is based on cellular structures found in the body, with patterns extending throughout the elevator lobby tower. This creates a visually stimulating environment that changes on each floor.
Creating a Visual Narrative - The Feature Walls Structure
“Temporal Synapse will spark conversations between strangers or redirect a patient’s focus from what they’re going through, even if only temporarily. It will be both soothing and ambient, or lively and playful, but continually changing. The elevator lobbies will be a source of energy and life throughout the building,” said Perry.
The featured wall’s materials consist of clear and white acrylic panels with embedded electronics and LED lights. The shell shapes are milled out of ACRYLITE® clear block and Premium white acrylic. The 1/8” ACRYLITE® Premium white acrylic acts as a light diffuser in order to obtain the desired appearance and translucent quality. Each piece is routed to create depth and emphasize the material's lighting properties. These detachable panels are placed over a pre-made network of electronics, nestled within aluminum reflectors. The layer acts as a containment for each LED, preventing light from spreading beyond each unit. The acrylic, aluminum structure, and all electronics are mounted to a welded aluminum frame and securely attached to the building's core.
Interactive Core: The Technology Behind the Art
“Hidden in the middle of each wall is a passive fish-eye camera,” explains Perry. “As people wait for the elevators, the camera picks up their motion. That motion is fed into a computer, which sends signals to hundreds of tiny LEDs. The lights illuminate behind the ACRYLITE® acrylic and resemble cellular structures seen within the body. The LEDs slowly glow on and off in different parts of the display as people move and react to what they see, giving the impression of different synapses firing in the brain.”
Collaboration and Fabrication
PROJECT ONE Studio turned to Meyer Plastics of Indianapolis to identify a product that offered endless fabrication possibilities, excellent optical characteristics, and consistent light stability throughout its composition. “Using our CNC routers, we were able to sculpt the ACRYLITE® acrylic panels and machine different patterns within each cell,” Perry adds.
Redefining the Waiting Experience
ACRYLITE® acrylic integrated with advanced LED lighting and computer programming, PROJECT ONE Studio has created an interactive experience that goes beyond mere aesthetics. This installation not only beautifies the elevator lobbies of Eskenazi Health Outpatient Care Centers but also fosters a sense of connection and comfort among patients, visitors, and staff. Through the dynamic interplay of light and motion, Temporal Synapse's vibrant source of energy transforms the waiting experience into a more pleasant one.
Watch the fabrication and installation process courtesy of PROJECT ONE: Temporal Synapse on Vimeo
Location: Indinapolis, IN
Client: Eskenazi Health
Designers: Adam Buente & Kyle Perry
Fabricator: PROJECT ONE Studio
