Client: EcoWorld London

Overview

Interactive, media artwork inspired by nature’s compass.

Across the animal kingdom, living creatures use varied and fascinating techniques to trace and track their environment. A response to the nearby botanical research and education institution, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Floral Guide is an exploration of nature’s colour-based, wayfinding systems.

Situated within the newly opened underpass connecting Kew Bridge Station and Brentford Community Stadium in Southwest London, the artwork enlivens the pedestrian journey, using a network of bespoke luminaires to resemble an ever-blooming glade.

From hibiscus to verbena, many flowers renew and refresh their appearance to communicate with pollinators. These ‘advertising slogans’, often outside our visible spectrum, are imagined as radial petals of light. Like bees to flowers, passersby influence the display and become immersed in ever-evolving pattern and colour.

Materials: mixed media, custom-control software and custom electronics.
Dimensions: 1 node – 360mm diameter (12 nodes in total)

Goals

Floral Guide was commissioned by sustainability-focused property developer, EcoWorld London. The aim was to introduce an artwork that elevates EcoWorld’s new Kew Bridge Development into a lively destination with a rich sense of place. The brief asked for a site-specific intervention that celebrates Hounslow’s unique character and resonates with residents and visitors alike.

At the start of the project, EcoWorld London identified the underpass connecting Kew Bridge Gate train station and the new 17,250 seat stadium for Brentford Football Club as a key gateway into the development. Servicing residents, as well as high volumes of visitors on match days, it presented an opportunity for a dynamic, storytelling piece.

Designed for functionality over form, the original underpass lacked personality so Jason Bruges Studio (JBS) was tasked with transforming the space into a welcoming arrival experience. The vision was for an immersive, integrated work that would instil a sense of pride in local communities and be loved for many years to come.

Process

Collaboration sits at the heart of Jason Bruges Studio’s work. For Floral Guide, JBS was engaged early in the placemaking process to ensure an integrated approach across the site. The Studio had weekly meetings with the project’s Creative Strategy Consultant, AND London, to ensure narrative continuity with the wider development.

During concept design, JBS was inspired by the nearby botanical research and education institution, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. From conversations with Kew scientists, Phil Stevenson and Richard Wilford, JBS envisaged a bespoke media system to emulate botanical forms and behaviours. Through close observation of the natural world, the team developed a programmable media palette inspired by interactions between insects and plants.

To describe the ordered chaos that underpins our ecosystems, JBS referred to the Fibonacci sequence. Often used to explore and explain patterns found in nature, the Fibonacci sequence helped determine the natural orientation of petals within each luminaire.

The entire project programme from design, fabrication, installation and commissioning was managed by the JBS team through a highly collaborative, hands-on process. Prototyping, iterating, and testing took place in the Studio’s in-house workshop in Hackney, London.

Additional Information

Floral Guide builds on a family of the Studio’s artworks that use technology to represent natural phenomena. Mimosa (2010) uses kinetic OLEDs to represent the opening and closing leaves of the Mimosa Pudica, Dichroic Blossom (2014) is based on Prunus Mume, Perlin Canopy (2018) and Digital Phyllotaxy (2020) explore the way light filters through leaves. Through storytelling and interaction these projects connect people with natural environments to build an awareness of our vital ecosystems and the critical need to protect them. To support these objectives, the Studio also interrogates its material palette consistently seeking out ways to improve sustainability. For Floral Guide, JBS collaborated with Mike Stoane Lighting, a certified B-Corp lighting manufacturer. The two teams worked on a TM65 assessment which measures the amount of carbon produced throughout the manufacturing process. This assessment was developed to set targets in carbon reduction and material usage for future projects. For Floral Guide JBS used long-life, energy efficient components such as aluminium, which is highly recyclable, and LED lighting units with a lifespan of over 60,000 hours.