pARC : A Reactive and Interactive Installation

The pARC installation is an area designed by The Urban Conga for the Chapel Hill community and the Ackland Museum of Art. Present in an open space at the University of North Carolina, the installation was deliberately built by The Urban Conga as a bridge connecting the museum with the road. The pARC installation functions as a gathering, playing, studying, relaxing, and organizing activities at the Ackland Museum of Art.

pARC installation designed by The Urban Conga (Photo by Christopher Brickman)

The pARC installation was built to attract people to the Ackland Museum of Art (Photo by Ryan Swanson)

As an installation placed in an open space, a pARC installation is made with an inherent identity as a meeting place and play area. Both of these things are represented through a bright purple color applied to the installation. The design of the pARC installation actively displays the curved shape adopted from the Georgian-style museum. Visually, the pARC installation looks like an arched iron coming out of the ground and framing the public space.

Built as a place to gather, play, and learn (Photo by Tom Waldenberg)

Each curved frame with a reflective dichroic lens allows the user to see the public space through a different view. This installation not only responds to the user but also to the surrounding environment, through a curved frame, this installation displays a beautiful shadow to the ground.

Dichroic lenses with reflectiveness that invite the public (Photo by Ryan Swanson)

The Urban Conga uses sunlight as a "source of life" to enliven the game in this public space. During the day, visitors can interact with sunlight and play with colors from the reflections of dichroic lenses. This interaction gives rise to the relationship between humans and the sun so this installation is reactive.

Whereas at night, the effect produced by dichroic lenses is created through colorful lights that are deliberately arranged around the installation, so that visitors can mix colors with their shadows on dichroic lenses.

Shadow and light games animate pARC installations (Photo by Tom Waldenberg)

Shadow and light games animate pARC installations (Photo by Tom Waldenberg)

The use of open space as a public space with an interactive installation design built to trigger good connections for visitors, installations, and nature is a genius step from The Urban Conga. The pARC installation is designed using universal design standards that make it an inclusive space that anyone can use indefinitely.

pARC installation is a genius move from The Urban Conga (Photo by Tom Waldenberg)