Since so many cultural facilities are inward-looking behemoths (massive stone or glass facades, seemingly with their backs to the outside world), I've become increasingly interested in any efforts to animate those facades. This one (video below) is particularly cool, designed and developed by UrbanScreen in Germany. Other initiatives have included David Michalek's Slow Dancing, and many cool projects from Rafael Lozano-Hemmer.
Architecture is a relationship between physical structure and social surrounding. It's nice when we find ways NOT to give the cold shoulder to everyone standing outside.
UPDATE: Check out the very cool MOBILE and TEMPORARY version of this idea provided by the people at Minneapolis Art on Wheels.
I am reminded of the ways in which we house the arts in our communities when thinking about this issue and its makes me even more appreciative of what they are doing at Land/Art in New Mexico where they use the environment to stage art and at the same time help people to have a conversation about the importance of nature and environment to the human spirit. What do we do when we institutionalize the arts? When we put particular organizations ‘in charge’ of them? ‘In charge’ of what a community considers art?
Andrew, one of my clients is in this business and the potential is enormous, but it is also increasingly regulated by signage departments. So it’s not as simple as it seems to execute.
This is a great use of a building – I’m looking forward to the time, not now far off, when projects like these are permanent parts of the architecture, rather than one-off events.
Still, my favorite remains the National Theatre’s attempt to de-uglify its fly-tower, by growing a lawn on two walls … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jhTC4E92mk