A cellular glass facade that filters natural sunlight into a moving kaleidoscope of light and shadow, directly choreographed by the elements passing outside, to restore the unplanned natural timeline of the outdoors to the interior of the building. The 140 m2 responsive glass curve transfuses light varyingly throughout the day, from sharp in the morning to ambient in the afternoon. Wind gusts that pass the building outside directly affect the cells in the glass to turn from opaque to clear, thus passing or blocking sunlight to create a dimensional projection of light and shadow onto the floors and walls of the interior space. As the patterns of wind and the quality of light are constantly changing throughout the day, the interior space regains the unplanned character of the outdoors.

At night, the principle is inverted, and interior light is filtered to the outside and projects the kaleidoscopic pattern onto the surrounding pavement. The space can be visited throughout the day, and is recommended to be experienced in early light.

Design by Studio Simon Heijdens

http://www.simonheijdens.com/index.php?type=project&name=Shade%20Greenwich