raumlaborberlin: soap opera

'soap opera' by raumlaborberlin in the ruhr, germany
all images courtesy raunlaborberlin
photos by francesco apuzzo


'soap opera', by german collective raumlaborberlin is an installation for the opening
ceremony of 'ruhr.2010 european capital of culture'. set at the base of the city's former
coal-mining tower and spilling forth to the surrounding site, the project transforms
the old colliery into a cultural hub that evokes a cleansing process.



dense cloud of latex balloons


the installation consists of hundreds of transparent, latex balloons--some filled with helium,
some filled with just air. varying in size and weight, the scene when viewed from far away
resemble a luminous mist of bubbles floating between the old bath house and the grove
of birch trees. visitors experience the space by immersing themselves among the balloons,
which are illuminated from within.



balloons under the shaft tower



'soap opera' temporary softens the precision and hardness of the architecture on
site--the industrial shaft tower, metal trusses, and brick-clad facade--by its material
and form. visitors, who are the real actors in this performance, are encouraged to
part the installation by taking parts of it along with them, resulting in the installation
gradually dissolving as if it were made of foam.



(left) rendering of the space
(top right) bird's eye view
(top bottom) approach






detail



rendering



site plan



(left) elevation
(right) detail



illustrative diagram of installation