#LANDSCAPING AND URBAN PLANNING PROJECTS
dan corson transforms dreary underpasses into interactive gateways in san jose
located within the core of downtown san josé in california, dan corson has transformed two dreary underpasses by turning them into bright, cheerful, and interactive urban experiences.
the two illuminated art pieces called ‘sensing YOU’ and ‘sensing WATER’ utilize paint, light, and interactive technology, and together they create a dynamic awareness of the city’s downtown. the gateway route is used by commuters, residents, and visitors daily.
the project is composed of over 1.000 painted rings and 81 individually controlled LED dimensional halos that respond to motion sensors targeted to pedestrian walking areas and bike lanes. from a car safety perspective, the lighting animations are designed to be slow enough so the average car will not see any movement when driving past, but that while walking through or pausing, the movement will be highly discernible.
in the highway 87 underpass at santa clara street, ‘sensing YOU’ is a collection of light rings that create a wide array of colors and patterns, except for red, green or yellow, the common traffic colors. the lights change in response to pedestrian and bicycle traffic under the highway. the light patterns change just by passing through it. the project is also integrated with an online smartphone game called ‘ingress’.
on the other hand, ‘sensing WATER’ utilizes paint and projected lighting that resembles flowing water and the aurora borealis. this piece is influenced by real-time changes in the weather and wind that affect the guadalupe river. this river flows under the highway at this junction. the light artwork accesses live data from the NOAA website which provides the patterning for the nightly projections.
