Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Pittsburgh's Mellon Square gets a light-based holiday art installation
90.5 WESA: Built in 1955 and restored in 2014, Mellon Square has been an important part of Downtown Pittsburgh for generations. This week, the iconic urban park gets the newest chapter in its story, a light-based, holiday-season art installation called “Aurora.”
The piece consists of 700 translucent, diamond-shaped plastic panels hung on a huge aluminum frame in the shape of a double-crested wave that spans the small park and its fountain. After dark, colored lights play on the panels as they rotate in the breeze.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I love holiday decorations in cities! They are so big and make the world seem so magical. I’ve only ever seen this season in my hometown, Boston, but I have always dreamed of seeing New York City during these times. So I am also very excited to see Pittsburgh this holiday season! I actually googled “Pittsburgh Christmas”, and found and read an article that states that Pittsburgh is ranked number four of major American cities to celebrate the holidays in. This is so cool, and I am excited to hopefully (definitely) make my way downtown these last two weeks of school. I tend to like and favour the classic Christmas and holiday times decorations, but I did find this “Aurora” installation intriguing. While I don’t particularly “like” it, I do think it is interesting to see different, new styles of art. I also bet that the rendering doesn't do it justice, and that the colors will be much more stunning and magical in person! I’ll definitely go see it and see if my opinion changes once seeing it in person!I love holiday decorations in cities! They are so big and make the world seem so magical. I’ve only ever seen this season in my hometown, Boston, but I have always dreamed of seeing New York City during these times. So I am also very excited to see Pittsburgh this holiday season! I actually googled “Pittsburgh Christmas”, and found and read an article that states that Pittsburgh is ranked number four of major American cities to celebrate the holidays in. This is so cool, and I am excited to hopefully (definitely) make my way downtown these last two weeks of school. I tend to like and favour the classic Christmas and holiday times decorations, but I did find this “Aurora” installation intriguing. While I don’t particularly “like” it, I do think it is interesting to see different, new styles of art. I also bet that the rendering doesn't do it justice, and that the colors will be much more stunning and magical in person! I’ll definitely go see it and see if my opinion changes once seeing it in person!
My hometown is a mere hour and a half away from Pittsburgh, and my dad’s family are from Western Pennsylvania. As a result, my parents and I would frequently visit Pittsburgh throughout the year, and the Christmas events in Pittsburgh were always one of our top reasons for visiting in the cold winter. I have been to Mellon Square before, and I am excited that lighting design (and by extension, the theatrical arts) are being included in such a major event. The massive crowds that flock to downtown Pittsburgh during the holiday season will be able to experience a part of theatre, which is something that way too few people get to experience in their lives. Besides, the display just sounds cool. The rotation of the panels adding to the visual effects, and the visibility of the installation from nearby skyscrapers was a very smart design choice. I can’t wait to go see the installation for myself when I visit Mellon Square this season.
Post a Comment