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Remaking Our Spaces and Places

Posted July 30, 2014

The field of design has the ability of making something new out of the old. An intervention in a pre-made space by an artist or designer can transform a dull or non-existent experience into a place with an identity. The spaces where design interventions happen are many and far reaching. One particular art installation by Rob Ley has transformed a wall of a hospital parking lot into a unique viewing experience.

The May – September installation turns the Indianapolis parking lot of Eskenazi Hospital into a space of experience. Constructed from two color metal panels that are bent and mounted at specific angles, the installation presents a different view from different points and distances. In the following video, you will see that from near and far, fluid patterns and shifting colors change. When the car — a cool object in its own right — drives past, the entire installation seems to shift and shake, reforming before our eyes.

But like all good art and design, there is a simplicity to this installation. It is not dynamic in its creation. It is a stationary piece that is dependent upon the viewers perspective. This highlights our place in the world and is not dependent upon a passive, stationary observation. This is the power of good design.

Rob Ley is the Founder and Principal of Urbana, a built environment design studio. Check out their website for more great work.

Ian Lewis Campbell

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