Zaha Hadid Architects Creates A "Living" Ceiling That Reacts To Visitors' Movements

You enter a dark, cavernous space then suddenly the ceiling starts to glow and expand, bearing down like a bizarre otherworldly lifeform come to greet you. But don't worry, you're not losing your mind this is a new interactive installation, Parametric Space, from Zaha Hadid Architects in collaboration with designers Kollision, CAVI, and Wahlberg.

It's currently on view at the Danish Architecture Centre until September 29th 2013. The piece reacts to visitors' movements by changing color and shape. As visitors first enter the space the ceiling appears flat, but the appearance soon changes and extends into glowing funnels. As a visitor moves closer the flexible membrane grows bigger while moving away causes it to retract.

As well as shape-shifting, the funnel also tingles with thousands of light particles that are projected onto it. These "inhabit the surface reacting on the membrane movements, creating an almost dreamy but still tangible experience related to the parametrically architectural language that Zaha Hadid Architects are known for."

The reactive funnels are brought to life by actuators pushing and pulling cylindrical volumes that sit at the top of the membrane.

[via Dezeen]

Images courtesy of Kollision

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