The system was designed to require a minimum of materials to cover a maximum space. We needed to think efficently and geometrically when trying to consider practical methods to engage this exansive and rectangular area. These renders were produced in Lightwave3d and composited with GIMP. Although we inlisted many techniques and approaches, the simplicity of an equalateral triangle with a harmonic derived rouchly from our site visit was decided to be the most effective. These renders are really only different in the sense that we cut down the total number of nodes based on the cost of the illumination systems we found available in the time frame we were working with.
The initial renders convinced everyone that this was a good direction to take the project so we contracted FlixFX to begin fabricating the nodes and steel sweeps above the door that would guide the cable net in a manner more sophisticated then a simple line from the roofline. Meanwhile we devised a cnc cut quick connection system and wiring rig that would speed the assembly and installation as much as possible. However, there is never enough time and money (we don't sacrafice quality) and in this case we were lucky enough to get some Art Center students from Dan and Penny's lighting classes, as well as a number of dedicated M & A volunteers to help out on a couple of "salsa and solder" nights. Where we had Trotskyite poetry, Danish glitch orchestra, and chicken from Spain (the restaurant.) In those nights we assembled about 175 nodes and cemented some support in the project that included people's helping install the piece.
A lot of people ask about the form of the nodes, some people swear it is meant to evoke the image of a school of turtles swimming to warm mating waters, others see goat heads. There are lots of interesting interpretations, but in the picture of our cnc cut rigid foam molds you can get a pretty fine sense of the surface of the nodes. We knew they would be vaccuuformed PETG fairly early on, and it seemed that an important consideration in the design would be rigidifying a fairly soft material and bracing it for months of sun and wind. We also keyed in details to simplify the cutting and mounting as much as possible.
The final step was installation, no problem. A large and dedicated crew worked for 2 days to get all the components installed and we spent another 3 days beautifying as much as possible before the opening. We first connected the inside diagonal wires, which essentially functioned as the ground wire for our circuit. We then stretched the lateral wires which in this case are 5 12v leads of solid copper insulate 10 gauge. We had the assistance of Carson Coulon and David Pakenham from airealistic who were already stretching the fabric inside the exhibition and lent their skills to the hall area fabric as well.
Once the inside was completed we hung the basic steel frame that we had constructed, marked the connection points and got a sense of how much energy it took for 6 guys to lift the whole piece up the outside of the building. After drilling the holes and lacing the frame with 12 gauge wire and populating the net with our nodes we lifted it again. It was great and from there we just improved nodes that needed extra attention once hung and removed steel parts that were no longer needed once the cables were mounted against the wall.