The 'Afterglow' installation in Oregon State University has reinvented the traditional university atrium. The atrium welcomes you into the university's new student center, which is being branded as a new 'Student Experience Center,' at the top of this vibrant staircase.
The installation is made from roughly 700 powder-coated aluminum strips arranged in a pattern to mimic the colors of sunsets. The dizzying piece bends, twists and flows in the central lobby, guiding students up two flights of stairs. Afterglow culminates with a mirrored ceiling composed of 1,000 mirrored tiles. The unique design was the brainchild of Los Angeles-based firm Amorphis in collaboration with Matthew Au. The firm wanted to fuse together the existing neoclassical student center's grid partitions with curves formed by the staircase.
Why This Trend Is Growing
- Reinvented University Atriums
- Architects and designers are looking for new and innovative ways to transform traditional university atriums.
- Interactive Installations in Education
- More educational institutions incorporate art installations to influence the student experience through interactive design.
- Sustainable and Multifunctional Design
- Sustainability and multifunctional aspects of university atriums were given more consideration
Industries Being Reshaped
- Architecture and Design
- Opportunities in designing and building innovative and sustainable university atriums and student centers.
- Art and Education
- Combining art installations with educational premises for a multi-sensory learning experience.
- Engineering and Construction
- Opportunities for engineers to develop new materials and methods to construct innovative university atriums.
