Client: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Overview

I created this as an abstract rendition of a butterfly chrysalis for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for their annual Fortlandia exhibit.

Chrysaline”, is a sixteen-foot-long fort inspired by the chrysalis of both a Pipevine Swallowtail and Variegated Fritillary butterfly. The overall contour is inspired by the papery, leaf mimicking shape of a Pipevine swallowtail chrysalis and the metallic quality is inspired by the reflective and jewel-like chrysalis of a Variegated Fritillary butterfly. The interior is filled with rainbow light passing through dichroic and prismatic lenses. The experience is much like entering a large suncatcher. Moving through the interior back to the exterior space invokes an imagined metamorphic experience of a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis.

Goals

I created this design in order to invoke visitors' imagination of what it would be like to go through metamorphosis like a butterfly, and also create a beautiful rainbow light-filled space that would be calming and magical to experience.