Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Joy of Discovery


Our son took us to see the Bond Life Sciences Center on the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia. Contained within two atriums is this giant sculpture that fills the space within the five-story building. It is named The Joy of Discovery and was designed by Kenneth Frederick von Roenn, a glass artist from Louisville, Kentucky.  I love it, love it, love it.


“The composition is
organized as a central spine that
spans the atrium with circles and
spirals suspended along its length
and a double helix spiraling around
the exterior,” he says. “The spine
represents the central role of the Life
Sciences Center while the circles
represent the individual areas of
study conducted within the Center.
The double helix represents DNA,
which is fundamental to all of the
research. This element is composed
of dichroic acrylic, which casts and
reflects colors throughout the space.”

Source: “Joy of Discovery” brochure







Notice the reflections on the walls as the sunlight moves through the colors.



-----and what genetics building is complete without a double-helix sidewalk?



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