This interactive woven canopy at MoMA PS1 changes colors as the sun sets

New Yorkers looking for a place to cool off during the summer will do well to duck into Long Island City’s MoMA PS1 and it’s not just because the museum’s galleries are air-conditioned. A new interactive installation there, called <em>Lumen</em>, is an experience well-worth the trip. <a href="https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/3667?locale=en" target="_blank"><em>Lumen</em></a> feels like a bright underwater landscape with 250 jellyfish-like tubular structures that interact with light, heat and movement. As the sun sets, colorful solar-powered lights come on, transforming the entire courtyard with an otherworldly vibe.

Designed by Jenny Sabin Studio and debuting to the public June 29, Lumen is the winner of The Museum of Modern Arts and MoMA PS1’s 18th edition of the Young Architects Program.

The installation will serve as the setting for the 20th season of the Warm Up outdoor concert series this summer.

MoMA PS1 Lumen installation by Jenny Sabin Studio

The canopy is made of over 1,000,000 yards of digitally knitted and robotically woven fiber.

Sunlight is diffused through the canopy fabric providing light and shade.

The project integrates various disciplines, including biology, materials science, mathematics, engineering and design, to produce an artistic micro-climate that is both environmentally responsive and beautiful.

Design submissions for a temporary outdoor installation were required to address shade, water and seating.

A responsive water system was incorporated into the hanging fabric tubes–called stalactites–to spray a fine mist when bodies draw near.

Lumen appeals to the senses; the soft white fabric is juxtaposed against the hard wooden seats and floors engraved with white geometric patterns.

In addition, 100 recycled spool stools (also robotically woven) provide a place to rest tired feet after a day roaming through the galleries, meeting another criteria that designs incorporate sustainability and recycling in its elements.

The recycled fabric absorbs solar energy over the course of the day and then emits it at night.

The installation invites visitors to play among the hanging fabric as water hits their skin.

The misting systems responds to body proximity and will cool guests down during the summer heat.

Lumen exudes both weightlessness and levity as the canopy sways in the breeze during the day.

The fiber used in the installation was digitally knitted and robotically woven.

The outdoor courtyard feels airy and calm.

Lumen transforms as the day passes.

Once the sun starts to set, an almost eeriness creeps into the space.

When night arrives, the installation morphs into a photoluminescent wonderland.

Once the Warm Up music series kicks off July 1, custom lighting incorporated into the installation’s design will complement the shows to provide both a visual and aural experience.

The colors are vibrant and gorgeous and the sky plays its part in the light show.

And it's mesmerizing to see how one color slowly transitions into the next.

The courtyard is dressed in orange one moment.

And in the next, it's decked in blue.

The fibers collect solar energy during the day and then transmit light in the night.

The courtyard has an otherworldly feel once night falls.

Lumen will be on view at MoMA PS1’s courtyard from June 29 though August 27.

The Warm Up outdoor concert series will kick off July 1.

With Lumen serving as the setting for this season's Warm Up concert series, it's going to be one vibrant summer.

MoMA PS1 Lumen installation by Jenny Sabin Studio

MoMA PS1 Lumen installation by Jenny Sabin Studio

MoMA PS1 Lumen installation by Jenny Sabin Studio