THE COLOR INSIDE BY OVERLAND PARTNERS + JAMES TURRELL SKYSPACE

A meditative space and inhabitable piece of art for a busy university building

The Student Activity Center (SAC) is a buzzing, central hub on any university campus. It’s often a center for socializing, organizing, performing and even studying, which means that the activity never stops. The students at the University of Texas – Austin expressed the need for a quiet space amidst the constant commotion, a place for reflection and meditative thought. In response, the university called upon American artist James Turrell to design a “Skyspace” for the roof of the SAC. In collaboration with the architects at Overland Partners, Turrell designed a deceptively simple elliptical structure that opens to the sky via an oculus in the roof.

During the day, the Skyscape is a quiet retreat that asks viewers to meditate on passing clouds and dancing sunlight. However, at sunrise and sunset, Turrell’s real art is revealed. Different colored lights paint the Skyscape’s white, blank canvas, framing the circular bit of sky with deep color contrasts that alter the viewer’s perception. “Light is not so much something that reveals as it is the revelation,” explains Turrell.

What is perhaps most impressive about this piece of “inhabitable artwork” is the technical complexity involved in the realization of such a seemingly straightforward project. The elliptical shape of the structure required nontraditional grid structures, and due to the structure’s weight, it couldn’t be installed directly on the SAC’s concrete roof. Instead, two steel beams allow it to float two centimeters above the roof.

Water and moisture were also a clear issue for the open-but-contained space. All surfaces, including the bench and light cove, had to be treated as roofing to effectively manage water runoff. Additionally, air coming from the central building had to be controlled and monitored to avoid the formation of condensation when cold external air came into contact with the warm internal air.

The use of plaster also caused several issues. Since plaster is not typically used in roofing, a waterproof membrane had to be applied underneath the finish of the exterior plaster. Plaster also cracks with time, but the interior required a smooth, jointless surface to achieve the full effect of the art. Therefore, an elastomeric coating was applied to both the interior and exterior plaster surfaces. The coating can expand, and if the plaster cracks, it bridges gaps up to 1/3 of a centimeter wide.