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‘Aeropolis’ is a project by Berlin-based architectural collective Plastique Fantastique involving 13 incredible inflatable shape-shifting structures sitting pretty on the streets of Copenhagen. It is the group’s biggest project yet, whose impermanent, air-filled structures have been described as soap bubbles, pneumatic machines, and magnifying glasses.
Designed for the 2013 Metropolis Festival, the bubble-like pop-up structures are temporary buildings that can be reconfigured to suit any urban space or scenario. They are made from fireproof PVC and function as event spaces for art, music and dance performances.
The teardrop-shaped structures were set up in six districts, with some placed under a bridge or sandwiched between trees. Visitors enter through a zipper opening and can participate in yoga classes, listen to a lecture, or simply lie down and admire the starry night sky. Heavy-duty ventilators ensure air pressure remains constant in the rooms.
Marco Canevacci, a member of the collective, said each structure was calibrated to suit its location and to give it a distinct identity. “The goal is to use the bubbles as a tool to investigate (a site’s) urban and social issues in a playful approach. We wanted to invite people to explore a path through the city of Copenhagen”.
Amazingly the bubbles were inflated in less than 20 minutes, thanks to improvements in technology and efficiency over the years.
Canevacci said these temporary structures allow for novel urban experiences that traditional buildings cannot accomplish.
Check out a video of the ‘Silent Disco’ installation, and view some photos of the whimsical bubble buildings below.
[via Fast Company]
‘Aeropolis’ is a project by Berlin-based architectural collective Plastique Fantastique involving 13 incredible inflatable shape-shifting structures sitting pretty on the streets of Copenhagen. It is the group’s biggest project yet, whose impermanent, air-filled structures have been described as soap bubbles, pneumatic machines, and magnifying glasses.
Designed for the 2013 Metropolis Festival, the bubble-like pop-up structures are temporary buildings that can be reconfigured to suit any urban space or scenario. They are made from fireproof PVC and function as event spaces for art, music and dance performances.
The teardrop-shaped structures were set up in six districts, with some placed under a bridge or sandwiched between trees. Visitors enter through a zipper opening and can participate in yoga classes, listen to a lecture, or simply lie down and admire the starry night sky. Heavy-duty ventilators ensure air pressure remains constant in the rooms.
Marco Canevacci, a member of the collective, said each structure was calibrated to suit its location and to give it a distinct identity. “The goal is to use the bubbles as a tool to investigate (a site’s) urban and social issues in a playful approach. We wanted to invite people to explore a path through the city of Copenhagen”.
Amazingly the bubbles were inflated in less than 20 minutes, thanks to improvements in technology and efficiency over the years.
Canevacci said these temporary structures allow for novel urban experiences that traditional buildings cannot accomplish.
Check out a video of the ‘Silent Disco’ installation, and view some photos of the whimsical bubble buildings below.
[via Fast Company]