dubai design week: animating the LED facade of world’s tallest tower

on the occasion of dubai design week 2016, designer yusuke murakami and tangent design and invention, both based in the city of london, have been invited to collaborate and create a lighting animation that would be screened on the façade of dubai’s iconic tower, burj khalifa. 

‘acension’: traveling through minerals and rocks

influenced by this soaring skyscraper, murakami alongside tangent design and invention conceived a mezmerizing animation entiltled ‘ascension’ — which explores the journey from the centre of the earth towards the universe above. this vertical growth starts off with lava, then gradually ascends through layers of minerals, deep sea, sand, buildings, mountains and sky — finally reaching infinite space. the graphical simulations in each ‘scene’ give rhythm to the animation, which corresponds to that of the earth. lighting up the nightscape of the city during dubai week, ‘ascension’ allows visitors to be visually immersed by the overwhelming feelings of infinity and verticality. 

ascension: dubai design week 2016  
video courtesy of  yusuke murakami 

blue hues: crossing the deep oceans 

ascending through the desert… 

crossing urban streets 

the ascension ends after reaching the sun, and ultimately the universe 

overview of the different phases of the ‘acension’ animation 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.