Location: Frankfurt, Germany

(n)arcissus is the latest project from the New York based studio SOFTlab , designed and created for the Node10 event at Frankfurter Kunstverein Art Center in Frankfurt, Germany.

The 9-metre-tall, site-specific installation supported by two metal rings – one at the top of the stairway and the other attached to the lobby ceiling – was made of over 1000 laser-cut panels of PVC and polyethilene, fastened with metal snaps.

The skin of the form, made of three layers of vinyl, can be perceived differently as a viewer traverses the space. Two of the layers were reversed with each other to create a gradated colour. As a result, neither the scope of the installation nor its definition in terms of colour, shape and reflectivity was completely revealed until one had made the journey from the lobby through the stairway.

From the lobby, the distorted reflection of the changing panels gave the impression of a very narrow, vertical space which gradually opened up into a translucent, gradated shape holding the entire atrium together through the tension of the hanging surface. The shape of the panels changed from a square to an ‘x’ shape based on the position of the panel in relation to the space, lending the design a flexibility of form and reflectivity. The design exhibited SOFTlab’s unique proposition of adapting and infusing every project with a capacity to evolve and grow into something new and inspiring.

Technical info: PVC panels
Picture credits: Courtesy Marius Watz, SOFTlab