URBAN IMPRINT

“In cities, we are so often adapting to the physical constraints of a predefined plan, as if poured into a vessel of concrete and glass” explains Nassia Inglessis, designer, engineer and founder of Studio INI. “I wanted to explore what it would look like to create a more symbiotic and ‘natural’ relationship between us and our built environment.”

The result of this exploration is Urban Imprint, a site-specific installation, created for the backyard of A/D/O in Brooklyn. It allows visitors to reshape their physical space as a result of their own movement. The boundaries of the cocoon-like envelopment rises, recedes, and partially separates as people walk through the piece.

“The goal of Urban Imprint is to explore the potential of a highly responsive urban space; one that I hope can allow its visitors to feel present and empowered through their own unique imprint.”, elaborates the designer further. So instead of people reacting to a built form, the structure adapts to them. This effect was created through 400 chords connecting the floor and the ceiling – every step a visitor takes on the platform is mirrored in the moving roof design. Morphing colors, shapes and lights create a unique immersive experience for everyone stepping into the A/D/O backyard.