Hong Kong's Kaleidome Transforms Park Into A Wonderland

Located in Shatin Park, Hong Kong, “Kaleidome” is an incredibly unique art installation that transforms the otherwise ordinary park into a magical world of colors and shapes. Designed by the Laboratory of Art and Architecture (LAAB), the artwork consists of 262 individually-crafted pieces of stainless steel mirror. Apart of the brilliant interplay of light and shadow, the dome-like structure also promotes the concept of interactive art.

Similar to a kaleidoscope, the lightly-painted polyhedral cells, of the Kaleidome, capture and reflect images of the surrounding objects, such as trees, buildings, flowers and even passers-by. Together, they form an ever-changing patchwork of variegated colors, shapes and forms. Borrowing from the popular trends in both art and architecture, the developers have created a spectacularly-innovative structure that lures people with its almost whimsical design.

According to the designers, the Kaleidome is actually based on the mathematical concept of “Voronoi tessellation”. The structure was manually constructed, by the team, using advanced computation and digital fabrication techniques. All the 22 shapes, of the 262 laser-cut cells, were first developed in the form of a parametric computer model. Each of the mirrors was then carefully shaped and folded. Following this, thin layers of red and blue paint were applied to the polyhedral cells, in order to preserve the material’s intrinsic shine and reflectiveness. The sharp edges of all the mirror were hand-polished to make the artwork kid-friendly.

By using advanced digital fabrication techniques, the designers were able to streamline the lengthy and complicated design and fabrication processes. Furthermore, it helped minimize the amount of materials required for construction. Designed as part of this year’s Jockey Club Community Arts Biennale festival, the Kaleidome actually represents the emerging Makers’ Movement in Asia.