Conceived of as an inverted chandelier, Skylight’s light fixtures are mounted to face inward and illuminate the structure’s interior surface. Its programmable LED system is animated to change in brightness and hue, and produce distinct patterns during arrival, theater calls, intermission, departure, and after hours.Skylight is based on a simple cylinder. Areas along the surface of the cylinder were removed to create views from the five‐story high foyer to the city. The form was refined so that when the 6.5 tonne work is suspended from its two supporting pin connections, its distributed weight causes the structure to rest at an inclined angle and align with the sun’s angle of incidence during key moments over the course of the year.Generating the form from a basic object helped to manage costs and utilize the limited production time efficiently.

Having an unchanging cross section along the length of the cylinder affords cost savings in the cladding. It reduces the number of steps required to fabricate and shape parts. Since the curvature of the cylindrical surface is constant, it was possible to bend all of the interior aluminum panels to the same arc radius, simplifying the assembly connections with standardized details. On the outside, 2.25 cm (1 in) square profile aluminum tubes are mounted to run parallel to the axis of the cylinder. The tubes cover the exterior without requiring to be bent or cut at complex angles.Photographer: Ivan Brodey