At the UC Campus San Joaquin, one particular design aspect truly captured my attention. In front of the innovation center, there was a sculptural piece, comprised of several concrete orbs. The spheres consisted of various sizes, with a diverse range in height and diameter. The installation was interesting. At first glance, I assumed it was just a sculpture garden. Located in front of the innovation center, I assumed, like most museums, they were displaying some sculpture or art piece that compliments the architecture of the building, and also hints at the main entrance to visitors and building occupants. However, after further observation, these concrete pieces are not only sculptural and can be used for a social gathering space.
The innovation center shows how the floors are obscured and obstracted, but also shows how the concrete becomes somewhat sculptural. The series of wooden form work indentation on the concrete becomes a sculpture in and of itself.
From my observations of Chile so far, similar pieces like these concrete orbs are found throughout parks, campuses, and exterior spaces. With the beautiful Chilean climate region, it encourages users to explore exterior spaces more, versus in colder climates, these exterior spaces are not as mindfully designed. Even the planters on campus have a gentle lip to them, to encourage students and visitors to sit outside, enjoy the weather, and engage in discussions with their counterparts.
Sketch analysis of the concrete spheres outside of the innovation center. Shows the various sizes of this sculptural piece.
At the innovation art center, there were several sets of these balls clustered together. This not only allows for users to move toward the shade with the moving sun. But also, it shows strength in numbers, and has a heavier, more dominate presence versus if there was just one cluster of them. Furthermore, the shape of them strongly contrasts with the linearity of the innovation center. This juxtaposition strongly identifies and diagrams exterior space and interior space.
An exterior shot of the innovation center, on campus. The jut out beaks the box and barrier of the defined building.
This is a really interesting take on the sculptural piece outside of the Innovation Center! I also feel that sculptures throughout Santiago serve a similar purpose. They truly do engage people rather than act as simply something to look at. In a way, this seems like a significant contrast from what we are used to in the United States. I was thinking about this concept the other day when I visited Sculpture Park, just across the bridge on the way to the architecture school. It was essentially what the name describes, a park with a variety of unique sculptures, but it transformed an otherwise plain green space into an interesting and interactive place to explore. Because the park was in such a core of the city, I interpreted it as if the sculptures were representing a field of buildings, or at least paying homage to the lack of actual buildings in that area of the city. If you get the time to check it out, I highly recommend doing so! The sculptures truly did serve as a way to bring people together and engage with the space around them.