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Leni Schwendinger

SpectraScape – an interactive, media artwork for Dallas Main Street Garden Park

Downtown central Dallas is being recast.


spectrascape01

Traditionally, the city center has been associated with such iconic non-residential structures as Neiman-Marcus’ flagship store, the once- flamboyant Statler-Hilton building and the “Old City Hall” notorious for Jack Ruby’s slaying of Lee Harvey Oswald. DOWNTOWN DALLAS, a business improvement district, has been formed, and buildings heretofore industrial and commercial, such as the moderne-style Mercantile, formerly a bank building with radio transmitter and an illuminated clock tower, have been renovated for housing.


SpectraScape rendering and color palette

SpectraScape rendering and color palette


I worked closely with the park designer, Thomas Balsley, to develop the park’s lighting scheme so a subsequent public artwork commission was a natural progression which built on my understanding of the uses and types of park visitors.  University of North Texas’ law school is slated to move into the Old City Hall and I envisioned students with laptops and law books as primary park visitors.

Inverted “L” shaped green, glass shade-structures were designed by the architect to stand along the edge of Main Street. The structures are set off by a long triangle of seasonally planted, colorful striated gardens.  I thought of the structures “study carrels”, envisioning a light that might switch on when students or other visitor entered for reading during warm Texas evenings.

Using the color and stripes of the gardens as a launch point, I envisioned sleek lines of light integrated into the shelters’ edges.  Narrow bands of animated stripes, viewed in series will attract passersby.

Light Projects’ Design Manager, Ute Besenecker, has been instrumental throughout the design and implementation process and we have worked closely with interactive designer Ed Purver for programming.

Thus SpectraScape was conceptualized.


Mock-up July 31, 2009

Winter (left) / Summer (center-left) / Autumn (center-right) / Downtown Dallas neighbors viewing


A bonus; the dynamic, luminous lines are visible day and night, adding a moth to flame effect from afternoon into the night.

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