Light and Sound Test and Preview

Constructed the dome at uni and ran some light and sound testing.

Prototyping

With the newfound plywood bracing, we decided to put it to test along with our new steel centre brace.

Main central brace

Dome in the process. The Dome was very rigid with the bracing, but we found out through this process that we could not set the dome up with bracing already in - it was too hard.

Discontinuity also tested out the mini-domes on site. These mini-domes on the night will emit elements of weather in their sound, e.g. wind, rain and thunder. These sounds will all meet together when a person walks near the dome, imitating that of a mixing chamber.

Testing of Scanning Lights

In the original concept, we intended for scanning lights to be on the site. The lights mimic a foreign object which seems to be analyzing the site. Because of how strange it is for this type of movement of light on site, it would address the issue of the idea of technology vs nature and the weird blurring of the two in their relationship.

Structure

The bracing for the top part of the dome was finished. Two poles are going to run through the holes in the bracing and will lock the umbrellas in the right place. The smaller holes allow for the speakers or lights to be screwed to the bracing.

We wanted the bracing to be quite exposed and the emphasis here was to reflect the umbrella's nature. On the interior, umbrellas reveal all of its structure and is exposed, and we wanted that in the bracing detail.

We also tested out bracing as our core element for structure. Due to our previous reliance on the internal structure, it took away the beauty of the dome, which was just umbrellas draping on a structure. Therefore, under the tutor's guidance, we decided to try out bracing which will be a secondary structure within the dome. If the bracing is successful on site, it would also allow for more space within the dome for the visitor to experience the interior easier. The bracing is also great because it weighs down the structure, preventing it from moving from uplift.

Light Testing

Discontinuity tested the lights for the craters as we are closing in on the finish. We decided to use the existing triangular prisms that the tutor group has made as a whole. This will cut down on costs on our group.

The frosted glass which filters the lights seem a lot more desirable than the clean glass. The clean glass makes the lights too direct.

Testing on Site

Testing of the dome on site was done. It took a little over 2hours to set up, but 30minutes was taken to set up the scaffold. After some evaluation, we decided to take out the scaffold for the next stage of development as it was too clunky and scaffold itself was not very pleasing to look/experience.

The testing was great as we saw the gateway of the idea and really gave us a good footing for our next stages of development.

Base Construction

Discontinuity started producing its main centre support and also the bases of the structure. Due to the nature of our dome, there is a lot of uplift. To counter this potential force, we are using 400x400x150mm bases filled with concrete. These boxes will also house our lights and speakers, reducing the need for other housing for them.

The main support of the dome is made out of steel and will be attached onto the top of the scaffold pole. Two steel tubes will protrude out and support the top four star umbrellas of the dome.