Cumulus - PS1/MOMA
Queens NY

To be in and between, below and on, puffy formations of water vapor is as impossible as it is desirable. This experience is the intention behind Cumulus, a pneumatic installation of bulging volumes which squeeze and release space, allowing the adventurous to transform their sense of elevation and gravity.

Using resources wisely, the pneumatic structures achieve their mass with air powered by solar energy. In bright sunlight the clouds would be fully inflated, creating a firm bulbous volume and much desired shade. As the temperature rises, the clouds become heavy, letting loose a light rain through a system of sprayers. With the loss of sunlight or the presence of clouds, the volumes would decrease in air pressure and lose their rigidity. The shade canopy alters in form to become thin sheets draped across the tensile structure, suspended above.

As the sun sets and the evening arrives, the volumes become flaccid with air while light emitting diodes illuminate the volumes from within. In the main courtyard, the cloud formations crowd and loom to create a variety of places. In the smaller court the volumes lay low, creating clouds to rest and recline on. The shaping of the ground, both the ground itself and the changing canopy above, transforms one's sense of altitude and horizon, accentuating the feeling of being on top of a mountain within the plane of the clouds.