Foster + Partners collaborated with Amelia Peng, an MA Textiles student at the Royal College of Art, and musicians and composers from the Royal College of Music to create an installation for the London Design Biennale. Inner Peace combines smart interactive textiles and musical performance to engage visitors in an immersive display, with their feelings and emotions directing the visual effects.
Irene Gallou, Senior Partner and Head of Specialist Modelling Group, Foster + Partners, said: “This project has been a wonderful opportunity for our team to collaborate with talented students, musicians, and composers in the fields of art and music. We are delighted to see people engaging with and enjoying the installation at this year’s London Design Biennale.”
The installation was a spectacular waterfall set against the backdrop of the Nelson Stair at Somerset House.
The installation was a spectacular waterfall set against the backdrop of the Nelson Stair at Somerset House. Visitors were invited to wear a headset that recorded their brain waves and visually expressed them on the back layer of the fabric installation as they listened to the music played in the space. The outer layer responds directly to the music, either a pre-recorded piece or a live performance by composers and musicians at the Royal College of Music. During the live performances, which were scheduled throughout the biennale, the musicians wore the headset to demonstrate the effect of creating music on the brain.
Foster + Partners Specialist Modelling Group has developed data programming that converts brain waves into movement and color. The team has worked closely with the Italian textile weaver, Dreamlux, who created the innovative fiber optic fabric for the installation.
