Client: TEDx Austin

Overview

The F1 Suspension was designed and created for TEDx Austin and displayed at the new $100 million COTA Formula 1 track in Austin, TX. The shape was made to emulate the survey of the racetrack and profile of the F1 cars themselves. Created with water-jet cut aluminum, dichroic film, LED wireless RGB strips. 12″ x 3/8″ x 112″

Goals

The goals were to take inspiration from the COTA F1 track itself and reflect back those inspirations to the attendees of the TEDx event with an interactive, color-changing art lighting suspension for their media lounge. The design also took into account the 5 colors used in the theme of Japanese cuisine known as Wagashi.

Process

The designer/builders were lighting desgner/musician Mike Brannon and lighting designer/architect Charles Schirmer AIA LEED AP. We created the design by bending 10' long lengths of water jet but aluminum into a frozen wave shape to emulate the F! car's profiles and them locked it into that shape via dual stainless braided cables run through the structure. Dual layers of dichroic film were fitted into the window and wireless color-changing LED strips affixed to the upper deck to create a free floating, constantly changing, interactive art lighting structure.

Additional Information

The piece has been well and widely received at TEDx Austin, TEDx San Antonio, San Antonio's new Children's museum, various art galleries and profiled in numerous publications including Enlightenment magazine.