Curtain of Curiosities
Project Information

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Title
Curtain of Curiosities
Client
Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (Powerhouse Museum)
Location
Harris Street Forecourt of MAAS
Year
2018
Team

William Feuerman
Dane Voorderhake
Andrea Lam
Ben Feher

Competition Funding: MAAS Architecture Grant + University of Technology Sydney [in-kind donation].

Discipline
  • Public Art
  • Installation

The Museum of Applied Art and Sciences (MAAS) has a collection of over 500,000 objects. Each of the objects tell a unique story about science, design, culture and history. The museum is a cabinet of curiosities, opening to a wondrous world of exhibitions, conferences, lectures, workshops, tours and other experiences.

For the 2019 Architecture Commission, Office Feuerman [OF] presents the Curtain of Curiosities. A traditional velour curtain assumes opulence at the front of a theatre stage. But beyond its decorative nature, curtains alter the atmospheric quality of a theatre; they rise to signify the anticipated start and lower to commemorate the end.

Re-appropriated and re-scaled onto the Powerhouse Forecourt, the traditional curtain is unfurled into a single curve, creating an inhabitable and immersive space filled ‘curiosities’. A prefabricated steel structure supports a 50 meter long curtain of 22,000 mirrored styrene modules, hung to reflect the light and surrounding environment. The material combination provides for ever-changing light effects based on available inputs: gentle or busting wind, natural light and site-specific light installations and projections. By reflecting visible light patterns throughout the day, the ‘Curtain of Curiosities’ gives expression to natural invisible environmental forces, producing a 24 hour stage.

Like the traditional theatre curtain that lowers and rises, the winding curtain track lifts and lowers to provide a range of public activities; from an intimate space for small group discussions, to a more open space for an informal outdoor lecture. The curvilinear seating below also supports a range of possible experiences — a platform for sitting, meeting, gathering and playing.
Come into the Curtain of Curiosities and let the show begin!

Curtain of Curiosities was 1 of the 3 projects that were shortlisted for this commission.