Layover
Layover is a ring road sound wall, urban oasis and public artwork.
The Amsterdam based studio PolyLester is proud to present Layover, a ring road sound wall, urban oasis and public artwork.
Layover, as commissioned by the municipality in Bergen op Zoom in the Netherlands, is a large metal sound wall and public sculpture that consists of transparent glass and solid metal cubes, each of 40cm. Spanning 16 meters in length and 3.5 meters high, the structure divides a busy ring road between two small cities, creating a public pocket park where over 3000 youths cycle past to and from school every day. The site, designed to be both a landmark and meeting point, invites those who pass by to layover; to pause and relax before continuing ones journey.
In the daytime the wall appears like a wave broken into fragments and frozen in time and space. Providing a lee for those who decide to temporarily inhabit in it, the structure functions as a shelter or oasis.
At night the passing trafic lights up the glass cubes, creating an ever-changing and dynamic sequence of lights.
The basic concept for Layover, was derived from an imaginary force that pushes a wall out and over, so that an exhilarating momentum is expressed and captured. The petrifaction of movement on a busy traffic axis is like stopping time, so that one may pass by, rest within or wander through a frozen moment.
PolyLester - established by visual artist Gabriel Lester and architect Martine Vledder in 2013 - is a studio focusing on art, public sculptures, architectural interventions, landscape, interior design, stage design etc etc. Featuring an array of collaborations with architectural offices, graphic designers, art and applied arts professionals, PolyLester aims to propose a diverse and articulated portfolio. Based in Amsterdam, available in the rest of the world.
