Inspired by Wildflowers – Capella Sydney Unveils Meadow by DRIFT

Amid the architectural hallmarks of the newly launched luxury hotel, Capella Sydney, is a kinetic lighting installation – Meadow¬ – by Dutch artists Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta of Netherlands-based art practice DRIFT. The sculpture comprises 19 wildflower-like lanterns that gracefully bloom and fold, illuminated by a spectrum of soft shades.

Capella Sydney, which opened its doors in Sydney’s Sandstone precinct in March, sets itself apart on several fronts. As Capella Hotels and Resorts’s maiden property outside Asia, it parlays the group’s luxury hospitality signature to discerning Australian patrons, albeit in a refreshed avatar. Among the property’s artistic crown jewels is Meadow, a flora-inspired kinetic lighting sculpture by Dutch art practice DRIFT. The installation – which sits at the intersection of art, technology and nature – marks the internationally acclaimed duo’s artistic debut in the Southern Hemisphere.

“Most man-made objects have a static form, whilst natural beings, including people, undergo a constant metamorphosis by adapting to their surroundings. In designing Meadow, we wanted to explore whether an inanimate object can mimic these natural growth processes in order to express character and emotion,” explains Ralph.

The inspiration for the installation came from the artists’ ambition to blur the line between nature and humanity. “Most man-made objects have a static form, whilst natural beings, including people, undergo a constant metamorphosis by adapting to their surroundings. In designing Meadow, we wanted to explore whether an inanimate object can mimic these natural growth processes in order to express character and emotion,” explains Ralph.

The installation presides over Aperture, the hotel’s ground-floor dining space that once served as a courtyard for the historic Department of Education building. Composed of 19 mechanised polyester-lined lanterns whose open-and-close motion mimics the umbrella-shaped petals of Australian wildflowers, the sculpture is inspired by a living organism. “All the flowers in Meadow come together to create the experience of a botanical creature,” confirms Lonneke.

The installation’s lifelike quality infuses a celestial aura into the dining space, which features a skylight and a seven-metre-high green wall with nearly 70 species of local flora.

By the same token, the flowers open and close in poetic synchrony. “Types of movement vary from slowly expanding and contracting behaviours to spontaneous motions at much higher speeds,” notes Ralph. As each flower expands, the light inside also grows, slowly diffusing to illuminate the entire pendant. Integrated sensors translate the presence of visitors into different ‘moods’, with each blossom combining the colours of the light and the gradient of the fabric. “This allows guests to interact with the different characters and moods that the sculpture can express,” avers Lonneke. The installation’s lifelike quality infuses a celestial aura into the dining space, which features a skylight and a seven-metre-high green wall with nearly 70 species of local flora.

The installation serves as the tour de force of Capella Sydney’s publicly accessible art program. Marc Von Arnim, Capella Sydney’s General Manager, says, “DRIFT has beautifully captured the colours and liveliness that exists in the Australian landscape, providing hotel guests and Sydneysiders with a magical experience.”