Scenography aboard world’s largest cruise ship!

By Savitha Hira with inputs from Avinash Yadav

Photography: Courtesy the designer

Read Time: 2 mins

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Installed strategically aboard the world’s largest cruise ship, this interjection between art and architecture is a dynamic installation that captures eye-balls and triggers contemplation...

“Where does it start? What is the seed of branching? Are there multiple seeds? How does it end?” Mind you, these are just a few of the intriguing thoughts that cross your mind as you stand in the elevator lobby or ride up and down the elevators traversing the 16 deck Harmony of the Seas, as the world’s largest cruise ship is christened.

Preliminary sketch

Conceptualized and installed by architect Marc Fornes of New York based studio The Very Many known for its engaging art and architecture through the filter of systematic research and development into applied computer science and digital fabrication, the 120-ft tall architectural sculpture has been installed in just 4 days!!

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Comprising of 10,813 painted aluminum parts and 44,700 rivets anchored at 23 points to provide stability from physical forces, this fluorescent pink generic mesh results in an organic form with a 3D curvilinear perimeter.

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As the piece rises through the spine of the lobby, expressing tensile forces along the way, a juxtaposition is revealed between each side's accent color: bright neon yellow on the front, deep blue on the back; at times both; at places a single hue… involuntarily altered by the play on the curvature of the surfaces. 

The three-layer composite finish includes corrosion-resistant powdercoating; a layer of liquid paint for the bright colour, and finally, a layer of transparent varnish for the best protection of the fluorescent effect. But, it’s not just the design or the colour but its spatial configuration in relation to its relative speed and vantage point that gives a great dimension and viewing perspective.

©Brice Pelleschi 

When you interact with such a piece of art, you question yourself about the motive behind such an installation. This design by Tour de Force shares the same objective as that of the cruise ship, where it removes a person from his or her familiar, everyday life, and places them somewhere out of the ordinary. 

At times, such complex design fails to resonate with a commoner at a go; but, when you invest time and interact with it, you are able to draw a deeper meaning from it.