Temporal Synapse
Overview
Temporal Synapse is a series of six hospital feature walls providing visitors with a pleasant distraction, while encouraging interaction with the art and others. It may spark a conversation between strangers, or redirect a patient’s focus. Lighting smoothly follows visitors within the space, revealing a pattern system in the wall resembling synapses in the brain. The entire network of walls moving vertically through the building represents the nervous system at its core.
Details
Completed: 2013
Medium: Acrylic, Aluminum, LED, Video Tracking
Location: Indinapolis, IN
Client: Eskenazi Health
Size: (6x) 12’ x 9’ x 6”
Description
An elevator lobby by definition is a temporarily inhabited environment. In a hospital, this common and often mundane experience of waiting can lead to adverse thoughts and emotions. In contrast, Temporal Synapse aims at providing the visitor with a pleasant distraction, encouraging interaction with the art and other visitors. It may spark a conversation between two strangers, or redirect a patient’s focus, even if temporarily. It can be both soothing and ambient, or lively and playful. The elevator lobby becomes a source of energy and life throughout the building, redefining what it means to wait.
The shell is milled out of custom cast 1.25” clear cast acrylic with a 1/8” white acrylic light diffuser in order to obtain a very specific appearance and translucent quality. The form milled into each component exaggerates the depth of the pattern and accentuates the lighting quality of the material. These removable shell panels are applied over a pre-fabricated network of electronics, embedded in aluminum reflectors. This layer acts as a container for each LED, restricting light from bleeding laterally beyond each cell. The acrylic, aluminum webbing, and all electronics are mounted to a welded aluminum frame that is fastened to the core of the building.
The hardware and software system was developed by our former colleague, Eric Brockmeyer. Custom drivers power the high output LEDs and a computer vision system interprets user movement in the lobby. We worked with Eric to develop the interaction scenarios and fading patterns. As the wall is engaged, a smooth pulse of light spreads to the surrounding components, and the compounding effect traces user movements in the space. These temporary reactions continually update, creating unique experiences.