Pasadena, CA

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An entrance canopy for a mixed-use development composed of 400 folded “aerogami” shapes flocking” together in the interconnected five-story space above the main entrance plaza and forming a sculptural tree-like shape that mimics the historic ficuses traditionally seen on the city’s streets. Exploring the different types of social connectivity both at ground level and vertically, the individual forms imply multiple local references while their paths suggest any number of real or imagined narratives.

 

Lightheartedly emphasizing the sociability of public environments and how we collectively impact, and are in turn impacted by them, the whimsical formation implies transformation from natural birdlike shapes to classically, hand-folded paper planes to traditional aeronautic prototypes. The “aerogami” forms are derived from five basic patterns. They suggest a range of shapes from a classic child’s toy plane, flying animal shapes found in origami and more scientific paper designs used in studies on aerodynamics. In addition, each are folded in a unique way to play back and forth between these natural and man-made references.

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Photography: William Short Photography

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