Genius Loci
San Francisco, CA
2018
Materials: corten steel, aluminum, LED lights
Client: Avalon Dogpatch
Architecture:
Pyatok Architects
Kennerly Architecture
Engineering:
KPFF Consulting Engineers
Rechenraum e.U.
Fabrication:
Niche Creative
Installation:
Neon Works
The artwork for Avalon Dogpatch in San Francisco is sited at the corner the southern and western facades of the southernmost block of the residential complex. It extends along 40 feet of the western facade and the entire 20 feet of the southern facade at varying heights along the top of the building. It is visible primarily from the 280 freeway (Northbound or Southbound) near the Mariposa exit. The artwork is comprised of two layers: a segmented barrier made out of corten steel and an underlying graphic cut out of aluminum and painted cyan blue. An architectural-scale optical illusion, a portion of the artwork presents an animated gesture that moves as one travels past in response to the shifting perspective of the viewer. The animation invites multiple interpretations and rewards repeated viewings.
Working from the idea that there is an a priori spirit of place – a genius loci – that inhabits a site like the one on Indiana Street in the Dogpatch, the artwork captures and reveals this spirit. The genius loci has literally burst from under the skin of the building. The outer layer of the artwork, mounted about one foot off the building, is made of corten steel like the skin of the building itself. The inner layer, mounted directly onto the corten cladding of the building, is painted aluminum. The outer layer of corten creates a barrier with gaps that correspond to the vertical sine-waves of the corten cladding beneath it. The painted aluminum graphics mounted under the barrier grid are visible in stages as one passes by. For maximum visual impact, the color of the interior graphic is a cyan blue that is the complementary color to the oxidized corten steel.
In places along the edges of the barrier and along the south facing facade, the underlying graphic spills out – emerging from behind the barrier of corten to reveal the segmented graphic below – the revealed graphic loses the fluid animated gesture when exposed without the segmented barrier. Similar to ikat weavings, the “blurriness” or fragmentation of the escaped graphics opens the opportunity for further readings and impressions.
At night, LED strips mounted on the back of the corten barrier illuminate the underlying graphics providing maximum legibility of the animation.