flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

Giant interactive pinwheel adds fun to museum exterior

Giant interactive pinwheel adds fun to museum exterior

Designer George Zisiadis hopes to transform the way people see public space


By BD+C Staff | February 14, 2014
The pinwheel is driven by hidden microphones and connected motors.
The pinwheel is driven by hidden microphones and connected motors.

Interaction with the outside of a building isn't something that happens often, unless the passerby takes a picture or points out the design to someone else. George Zisiadis wants to change that with his new design for the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History

His proposed design intends to place a 10-foot pinwheel on the side of the building that is connected to tubes in the plaza below. If a person blows in the tube, the pinwheel will start spinning. Zisiadis says that he wants the exterior to have some of the interactive elements that are featured inside the museum. 

"They want people to engage with their art in a very hands-on way, which I find very empowering and inspiring," Zisiadis told Fast Company. "I wanted to extend this idea to the physical structure of the building itself.”

He wants to keep the mechanism driving the pinwheel mysterious in order to make the experience more fun for visitors, but it's pretty simple. When someone blows into the tube, hidden microphones pick up the sound and connected motors then make the pinwheel spin.

Zisiadis hopes that his design will encourage people to interact with the whole building and transform the way they perceive public space.

 

Related Stories

BIM and Information Technology | Feb 8, 2015

BIM for safety: How to use BIM/VDC tools to prevent injuries on the job site

Gilbane, Southland Industries, Tocci, and Turner are among the firms to incorporate advanced 4D BIM safety assessment and planning on projects.

Museums | Feb 6, 2015

Tacoma Art Museum's new wing features sun screens that operate like railroad box car doors

The 16-foot-tall screens, operated by a hand wheel, roll like box car doors across the façade and interlace with a set of fixed screens.

Office Buildings | Feb 6, 2015

6 factors steering workplace design at financial services firms

Grossly underutilized space and a lack of a mobility strategy are among the trends identified by HOK based on its research of 11 top-tier financial services firms.

Cultural Facilities | Feb 6, 2015

Architects look to ‘activate’ vacant block in San Diego with shipping container-based park

A team of alumni from the NewSchool of Architecture and Design in San Diego has taken over a 28,500-sf empty city block in that metro to create what they hope will be a revenue-generating urban park.

Multifamily Housing | Feb 6, 2015

Fannie Mae to offer lower interest rates to LEED-certified multifamily properties

For certified properties, Fannie Mae is now granting a 10 basis point reduction in the interest rate of a multifamily refinance, acquisition, or supplemental mortgage loan. 

Airports | Feb 6, 2015

Zaha Hadid-designed terminal in Beijing will be world’s largest

The terminal will accommodate 45 million passengers per year, and will be a hub for both air and rail travel.

Codes and Standards | Feb 6, 2015

Obama executive order requires federal construction projects to consider flood damage caused by climate change

To meet the new standard, builders must build two feet above the currently projected elevation for 100-year floods for most projects.

HVAC | Feb 6, 2015

ASHRAE, REHVA publish guide to chilled beam systems

The guide provides tools and advice for designing, commissioning, and operating chilled-beam systems.

Cultural Facilities | Feb 6, 2015

Under the sea: Manmade island functions as artificial reef

The proposed island would allow visitors to view the enormous faux-reef and its accompanying marine life from the water’s surface to its depths, functioning as an educational center and marine life reserve.

Contractors | Feb 6, 2015

Census Bureau: Capital spending by U.S. businesses increased 4.5%

Of the 19 industry sectors covered in the report, only one had a statistically significant year-to-year decrease in capital spending: the utilities sector.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021