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- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkWhen a fire destroyed a pre-Revolutionary War building in Frederick, Maryland in 2010, the community mourned the loss of history. Today, however, the nearly 300-year-old building is getting a new lease on life thanks to the ambitious <a href="http://www.skystagefrederick.com/" target="_blank">Sky Stage</a> art project. Artist <a href="http://heather-clark.com/" target="_blank">Heather Clark</a> collaborated with <a href="http://digitalstructures.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Digital Structures</a> research group to temporarily transform the burned-and-boarded property into the interactive building-scale public artwork with green roof technology and rainwater harvesting systems.1
- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkLocated in Frederick’s downtown historic district, Sky Stage is a temporary artwork that uses vegetation and a digitally designed structure to breathe life into the damaged building.2
- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkThe organizers removed the plywood boards that formerly blocked public access to the historic stone building, which has no roof.3
- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkArtist Heather Clark and MIT’s Digital Structures research group used computer algorithms to engineer a complex two-story-tall wooden lattice that forms the structural base for twisting ribbons covered in drought-resistant plantings.4
- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkState-of-the-art green roof technology was used to create the spiraling vegetated bands that weave through the building’s open doors and windows.5
- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkA timber seating area was constructed next to the two-story structure to form an open-air theatre that accommodates 140 people.6
- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkTrees integrated into the wooden benches soften the stone background and provide relief from the sun.7
- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkRainwater collected from an adjacent roof is stored in a cistern and reused to irrigate the plants and trees.8
- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkThe Frederick Arts Council and AmeriCorps will oversee the day-to-day operations of the theater as well as future creative endeavors for the public including plays, music acts, children’s story time, art classes, dance, history, literature, and film.9
- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkThe Sky Stage will be open through July 2017.10
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- Sky Stage in Frederick by Heather ClarkSky Stage in Frederick by Heather Clark12