SWELL

Cedar Hall Building lobby
1420 5th Avenue, Seattle WA 98101
2023

Swell is inspired by the shells of microscopic marine organisms called coccolithophores. Unlike other types of phytoplankton, these tiny organisms surround themselves with intricate plating made of limestone (calcite). The lifespan of a coccolithiphore is a three to four weeks where it hovers several inches below the surface of the ocean. Billions of these life forms emerge simultaneously in enormous swells or blooms across the sea as wide as a hundred miles.

The hollow suspended sculptures will capture and reflect changing light within the space and will cast subtle shadows below. The movement of people within the space will create just enough airflow to slowly spin each of the suspended forms, echoing the underwater rotations of living coccolithiphores.