Laurens Kolks > spatial design

Plus

Starting point for the permanent art intervention Plus is the given that the Noorderlicht school is open from dusk till dawn and occupied by a very diverse group of people. The newly extended school will be a home to a wide variety of school related and leisure activities. From learning math to flower arrangement, from martial arts to first aid course. The art project wants to be a catalyst for the opportunities that the coming together of all these different groups of people offers: the possibility to meet, exchange and grow.

Point of departure is to create a space where an encounter between the different users of the school complex can lead to an exchange of knowledge. This space is given the form of a plus shaped greenhouse where users can grow their own plants and flowers. The patio is the perfect site for positioning the greenhouse because of its central position within the building. The pavement of the patio will be made up of a tilted pattern of square concrete tiles in two shades of grey creating a dynamic floor surface. The rain water in the patio is directed towards two linear gutters that lead the water to an underground basin. From there the water can be pumped up to the playground by the playing children.

The magic of the natural phenomenon aurora borealis inspired the lighting design for the patio. Specially designed translucent fixtures contain RGB LED lighting. The five programmable lighting fixtures attached to one of the patio's adjecent walls sends an ever changing range of blue-purple tones into the patio. The fixtures, like the plants and flowers inside the greenhouse, provide the patio with an injection of colour.

Production

Click here to see how Plus was built

Client

the municipality of Wijchen

Details

Permanent art installation for the Noorderlicht primary school, Wijchen