Confluence: Colour in Motion at VIVID Sydney 2015
Congratulations to Insitu Collaborative for their architectural pavilion, Confluence, that’s part of the 2015 VIVD Sydney Festival of Light, Music & Ideas. Located in First Fleet Park at Circular Quay, this interactive installation is designed to utilise an incredible harbourfront setting – between the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House — by Joseph Rowe and Jason Lu (Insitu co-founders), with Allison Hair and Alissa Nolan (Australia), Thomas Stevens (UK) and Quentin Le Pavec (France).
The series of interlocking plywood sheets form an undulating, illuminated canopy that drops down to a single point at the pavilion centre. Pathways under the canopy are mapped out in reflective acrylic, mirroring the canopy’s light amid a forest of columns. Motion sensors in the floor react to people as they navigate their way through the pavilion, triggering unexpected colour changes throughout.
According to Jason Lu, the design of Confluence was based on simple construction and assembly process and involved 64 steel columns, 80 sheets of marine-ply – all CNC routed for the canopy – and 1,700 M8 bolts to hold it all together. Incredibly, says Lu, out of the 600 pieces that make up this ephemeral structure, only one piece went missing… he didn’t say which piece. You can experience Confluence for yourself at VIVID Sydney from 6pm to midnight every day until 8 June.
Insitu Collaborative is based in Sydney’s Inner West at the Australia Street Studio in Camperdown. This cohort of emerging young designers, architects and engineers are all about experimenting at the intersection of architecture and technology — ideas from today and tomorrow, which is why Modern House Estate Agents is proud to support this project, along with Indykarchitects, Popov Bass Architects, and Custance.
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Confluence by Insitu Collaborative is located in First Fleet Park at Circular Quay, Sydney for the duration of VIVID Sydney.