cloud

the art installation is part of a design for a public plaza / pocket park in a mixed use building complex at a busy intersection in downtown culver city.

the large sculpture was designed in response to the city’s desire to implement a water feature on the plaza. the goal was to create a water feature that is sensitive to southern california’s climate and water shortage, and maximizes the benefit of water to create a micro-climate in the park. if desired in response to drought conditions, the sculpture stands on its own without the water component.

in creating our design, we wanted to evoke the qualities of water in the sculpture itself. fascinated by the process of the water cycle – nothing is being added or deleted in the infinite movement of water on, above and below the surface of the earth – we used the figure of a möbius band as inspiration.

the sculpture is made of a twisted mirror-polished stainless band. the resulting shape is reminiscent of a raindrop. its perception changes dramatically according to the viewing angle. nozzles along the two narrow edges of the band intermittently emit fog, thus enveloping the sculpture in a cloud that is both surprising to the patrons of the park and cooling to their environment.