‘silent disco’ by barbara bestor images © joshua white

looking to become a refuge that provides respite from the institutional production of architecture, ‘silent disco’, a highly hedonistic program by los angeles-based studio, barbara bestor architecture aims to support and enable social and communal experiences. on view at SCI-Arc gallery from april 1st through may 15th, 2011, the architectural installation is a framework of special effects looking to encourage visual, physical and social pleasure.

over-scaled, unfolded demi-dodecahefron models with strong and deceptive graphic interfaces composed the gallery, an environment imbued with disinformation of the literal form. plywood panels appear to advance and recede within the volume, obscuring parameters of the disco and offering multiple spatial possibilities based on the visual perception of form.

barbara bestor: silent disco overall installation

techniques of superficial deception reminiscent of ‘razzle dazzle’ camouflage are employed within the constructed space, creating distorted visual environments of refracted light and anamorphic surfaces.

barbara bestor: silent disco detail of perforated surfaces

by day, the reflective surfaces of the exhibition capture and deflect rays, populating the still space with a silent volume of light, both tranquil and kinetic. by night, the disco has many programs – including a downloadable soundtrack and dance parties complete with DJs, lasers, projections and fog. like other nightclubs, the silent disco’s geometry offers back rooms and dark corridors, an alternative to the visual confusion of the dance floor.

barbara bestor: silent disco solid black surfaces distort the perception of space