Neil Musson and Jono Retallick of M+R were commissioned by acclaimed interior design studio, Areen Design to produce a vast artwork sculpture entitled Dawn, for the KAIA International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Dawn is a monumental work consisting of four enormous sculptures that spiral upwards like currents of air into the curved rooves of the departure hall in this world-leading international airport. Comprising of colour-changing wing-shaped translucent acrylic blades that emit light, M+R’s sculptural light effect brings a sense of calm into the centre of the busy airport.
Created from double-sided Applelec LED Light Sheet, each LED light strip was individually programmed to illuminate the outer surfaces with a palette of sky-blues, soft greys and subtle whites. The programmed light sequence mimics the movement of clouds drifting across the sky as the light drifts across each sculpture towards the second sculpture located further down the airport’s departure hall.
Each individual light-art piece comprises of 80 custom-made Applelec LED Light Sheet blades supported by 160 weight bearing wires of differing lengths, where M+R flew out to KAIA International Airport and meticulously assembled all the structures.
Jono Retallick of M+R said: “The extraordinary engineering, made possible by Colin Musson, used complex computer modelling to ensure that no blades or wires touched each other or changed the delicate overall shape of the cluster of wings. Each wire carries data to the blades and is also carefully considered as part of the sculptural form. The cables were chosen for their translucent and reflective qualities with the result that they glisten as light shines through them rather like a fine rain”
The team developed the pieces through close collaboration with Applelec Lighting, to design the wing-shaped panel using Applelec LED Light Sheet to manufacture the 320 bespoke light blades, and Control Lighting to develop the programming.
Dawn is the focal point for over 30 million passengers a year who will pass through the impressive KAIA International Airport.
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