eCLOUD is a dynamic sculpture inspired by the volume and behavior of an idealized cloud. The sculpture consists of thousands of small square panels of electrically switchable Smart Glass performing as pixels. The animations moving through eCloud are based on real-time weather data from 100 different destination airports.

eCLOUD is a permanent art work installed between gates 22 and 23 at the San Jose International Airport, gateway to Silicon Valley, California. The sculpture is inspired by the volume and behavior of an idealized cloud. It consists of thousands of small square panels of electrically switchable Smart Glass performing as pixels. The animations moving through eCloud are based on real-time weather data from 100 different destination airports. We wanted the eCLOUD to behave as if it were dropped into a city around the world and effected by its specific weather conditions. If it were windy in Rio de Janeiro, the animations in the installation would behave in a way the evoked the wind and direction it is going in that city. In a few seconds, the cloud is metaphorically moved to another city, lets say São Paulo, and it were raining there, then our cloud would look like it is raining. We show this on a large dynamic display that is running custom software which pulls data from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) about international weather conditions. This data is used to create a simulation representing weather from any of the international locations. The simulation is visualized within the cloud sculpture as well as on the dynamic display sign in the terminal. The dynamic display also shows the current location being visualized and the NOAA data driving each animation. The software, was written in Java and was built upon Processing (processing.org). Each panel’s position is logged in the software and is distance checked against the particle simulator which simulates clouds, rain, ice, storms, etc.

https://vimeo.com/85887057

http://ecloudproject.com/index.html

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Details

Building or project owner : Norman Y. Mineta International Airport, San Jose, California

Project artist/ concept/ design/ planning : Artists: Nikolaus Hafermaas, Dan Goods, Aaron Koblin

Technical layout light : David Randall

Light hardware (LED hardware) : International Rigging

Lighting control software : Daniel Massey

Project co-ordination : Production Management: Jamie Barlow

Project sponsor/ support : City of San Jose Public Art Program / Mary Rubin

Descriptions

Facade type and geometry (structure) : The sculpture consists of thousands of suspended square panels of electrically switchable Smart Glass performing as pixels.

Pixel distance : Varying in three-dimensional grid.

Participatory architecture & urban interaction

Mediacredits

Spencer Lowell

Spencer Lowell

Spencer Lowell

Spencer Lowell

Spencer Lowell

Spencer Lowell

Nikolaus Hafermaas/Dan Goods

Dan Goods