This project was designed for the AGI glass competition hosted by Jefferson University. It is sited on Kelly Drive in East Falls, Philadelphia facing the Schuylkill River and is intended to block pedestrian's views to the parking lot behind it while also engaging them as they pass by.
The falls of East Falls were a hidden spectacle that gave the area a distinguishing feature and its name. They were only discovered by traversing the river and following the sound of the falls. Now they are submerged underwater, due to a dam upstream, and are now hidden again.
The wall plays with the idea of a spectacle being hidden and discovered, similar to the story of the falls. A series of opaque panels are laid out in an undulating pattern that mimics the flow of the river. As they open or close they reveal or hide special moments. These moments are characterized through the play of reflectance and color with the use of mirrors and dichroic glass. This play creates and effect where light protrudes from the panels and when approached reveals a mirage of colorful reflections. Columns and benches are designed to define space and entice pedestrians to experience the wall.
The project made the top 10 out of 60 in the competition.
