THE HARP'S BUFFET
Just like the music is created from the cloudscape, the architectonic structure (the "buffet") is derived from cloud geometry : the different modules are arranged according to algorithms similar to the one that are used for cloud simulation, and to produce the music. The laser and the telescope are housed in the highest tower : it is from there that the laser beam scans the sky.
The buffet is covered with a maple and birch finish. It has been assembled in Montreal, mostly by students in design and architecture from many different countries. The logistics of the project imposes strong weight an rigidity constraints. With all their technical and formal challenges, all projects by the NXI GESTATIO Design lab are seen as opportunities for students to develop their skills by working on real-life installations. More than twenty people have been involved in the Cloud Harp project.
The buffet is usually designed specifically for a given site; after the presentation, it is dismantled. Pieces and materials are given to schools or non-profit organisms. This one was actually built for a Battery Park presentation, in New York, in September 2001, but was never shown : it was close to the Twin Towers, and suffered important damages because of dirt, weather and vandalism before it could be removed and brought back to Montreal. Many pieces had to be replaced, but as many of the original parts were kept. They can easily be distinguished by their colour.