Dynamic Canopy Installation Stretches Outward Like a Flowing Curtain Frozen in Time

Dynamic pastel ribbons ripple down into the the traditional Cortile d'Onore courtyard of the Universit degli Studi di Milano, creating an effervescent curtain suspended in space and time. The translucent installation, titled Invisible Borders, was designed by MAD Architects for the 2016 Milan Design Week, as part of the “Open Borders” exhibition by the Italian magazine Interni. The piece aims to push against interdisciplinary boundaries and combine areas such as design and architecture with aspects of art and technology,

Through the installation, MAD Architects seeks to “alter the perception of space” by exploring the concept of borders. Playing with the partition between the historical faade of the contemporary courtyard, the dynamic polymer strips (designed by P.A.T.I.) appear shaped by an elemental force, weaving through space like wind or water and reflecting the hues of the sky in the same manner.

“Our installation blurs the boundaries between the traditional and the contemporary. You see the difference in each end, but the transition is very organic. It's like we open up a conversation between the past and the present,” Ma Yansong of MAD Architects explains. The installation even subtly moves with the wind, allowing for glimpses of the building between the luminous strips, and bringing to life the architecture it's attached to.

Image via designboom

Image via designboom

Image via designboom

Image via designboom

MAD Architects: Website | Facebook
via [designboom]

All images via Moreno Maggi unless otherwise stated.

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