Asked by BMW Mini Cooper to design for its campaign “Creative Use Of Space,” the MINI ROOF NYC project is a temporary event location in New York City housed on a Manhattan rooftop. The roof is a fusion between the natural and artificial elements: an organic hill is suspended in an abstract architectural grid, creating a jarring break with the typical landscape of the city. The design is a collection of elements that punctuate the ubiquitous grid: a grassy lounging hill with seating dimples and performance stage, a speakers’ platform embedded in a large scale existing billboard, a lighting tower to cast light on the space and to act as a visual icon on the skyline, and a panorama bar overlooking the Hudson River. The floor is animated with an LED carpet that turns the surface into a programmable horizontal billboard. The MINI ROOF NYC derives its inspiration from the design of MINI cars that utilize object-in-field design, deploying objects like brake lights into the field of sheet metal. At an architectural scale, objects like the bar, hill, platform, and light tower float within the grid pattern of the light carpet. By having programs scheduled that cater to the ‘creative class,’ the ten-day MINI ROOF NYC event introduces a bold design statement as an informal branding tool.
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