Black Box and Bridge Stories

AU Studio were commissioned by Arup to design, fabricate and install a black box projection room and interactive display plinth for two exhibitions – 'Ways of Seeing London' and 'Bridge Stories' – at their Fitzroy Street HQ in London

The design and detail takes full advantage of the CNC manufacturing process and was developed to prefabricate as many components as possible with the aim to minimise on-site assembly time, cost and disruption to Arup's front of house.

The perforated patterns on the panels are inspired by the botanical illustrations of Anne Rudge, wife of the botanist and antiquary Edward Rudge (1763-1846) who lived and worked on the site Arup's offices now occupy. Subsequently the interactive display plinth was collaboratively developed and constructed with Kin Design and Onedotzero Industries.

The display allows the public to navigate through a catalogue of bridge structures from around the world by pulling two panels apart to reveal bridges of varying spans. The land mass on either side of the bridge image is projected onto the two moving panels and adjusts interactively according to the movement of the panels.