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Roof for stray thoughts, 2021 - Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022 - Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021
Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022
Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021 - Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022 - Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021
Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022
Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021 - Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022 - Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021
Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022
Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021 - Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022 - Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021
Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022
Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021 - Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022 - Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021
Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022
Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021 - Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022 - Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021
Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022
Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021 - Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022 - Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021
Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022
Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021 - Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022 - Photo: Adam Mørk
Roof for stray thoughts, 2021
Quay Quarter, Sydney – 2022
Photo: Adam Mørk
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The organically flowing canopy of interwoven ringlets that covers the roof terrace is visible from afar, adding a distinctive new icon to the urban environment of Sydney. The signal-yellow structure is reminiscent of the organic growth of an aquatic plant and is, at the same time, an intriguingly unfamiliar geometrical pattern. The underlying structure is composed of arcs that reflect the scale of the architecture and of the human body – the largest arc, if it were standing upright, would encircle the full height of the tower; the smallest, the height of a visitor. Seen from the floors above, the sculpture looks as if it were nestled into the urban space, forming a transitional area between the new tower and the heritage tower.
The crisp geometry of the canopy produces enthralling patterns of dappled shadows on the ground below. The varying zones of shadow and light, like the rippling shade created by waves or a tree moving in the breeze, create particularly welcoming spaces for meeting, rest, and recreation. The shadows move in relation to the changing position of the sun with dramatic intensity and clarity in the Australian sunlight. Fragments of the local surroundings are captured in sections of the ringlets that have been polished to a mirror finish, distorting and remixing the city above the visitors’ heads. The curving, bright-yellow lines of the sculpture can be glimpsed from the street level, jutting out beyond the edges of the underlying podium. Catching the luminous rays of the sun, the powerful yellow colour contrasts starkly with the architecture of the city around it.

Artwork details

Title

Roof for stray thoughts

Year

2021

Materials

Steel, stainless steel, paint (yellow)