SOLAR FOREST

Cambridge, MAssachusetts | Boston, Massachusetts | New york, New yOrk

Solar Forest – Immersive public light sculpture showcasing renewable energy sources

Solar Forest – Immersive public light sculpture showcasing renewable energy sources

With a nod to the 360º circling our globe, Solar Forest featured 360 Solar Helix lanterns which were donated by founder/designer Alice Chun of SoLight Design. 

This dynamic outdoor light installation highlights the global need for clean, non-polluting light and stands as an opportunity to celebrate progress in solar innovation and renewable energy.

This immersive artwork was originally created for the Cambridge Science Festival and debuted as a 3 week installation on the lawn at Cambridge City Hall in the Spring of 2017. The project was also exhibited the following November at ILLUMINUS 2017, where it was showcased for two weeks in Post Office Square in Boston, and then travelled to New York City for a Solight showcase in Central Park.

After the installation was decommissioned, the lanterns were shipped directly to a rural community in Puerto Rico and Virgin Gorda left without power after the devastation of Hurricane Maria in September 2017.

Solar Forest – Immersive public light sculpture showcasing renewable energy sources

This installation was intended to welcome the public and activate the space both day and night. The lanterns extended down from the canopy 14’ to ground level so that the hanging elements rotated in the breeze. This installation invited people of all ages to take a moment to engage, explore, and play with the dancing light. 

Karim Badwan worked closely with Studio HHH to design a custom rigging system that suspended the sculptural cascade from three large trees on the lawn of CIty Hall. The upper structure was fabricated from an aluminum tube which kept the sculpture lightweight with minimal wind load. The structure was made in five segments for efficient shipping and transportation, and was designed to fit in a standard vehicle. Each Solight cube is made from high performance fabric and designed to collapse in a rotational fold.

Solar Forest – Immersive public light sculpture showcasing renewable energy sources
Thank you to Alice Chun of SoLight Design and LuminArtz for their incredible support in making this project possible.
Solar Forest – Immersive public light sculpture showcasing renewable energy sources
Solar Forest – Immersive public light sculpture showcasing renewable energy sources

Photo Credit: Kyle Klein