Solar Scale
2020
Public Art. Sculpture. Glass.

Ohio State University

Columbus, OH

Glass Detail

Series of sculptures translates the scale of the solar system, offering an interactive, dynamic visitor experience.

The purpose of this project is to translate the solar system’s scale into sculptural form, creating an experience that gets infused with life as it gets used by it’s visitors. Taking inspiration from minimalism, Depeña creates an original artwork and transforms the pedestrian viewpoint into a dynamic and interactive experience.

Neptune Monument at Night
Each planet location was developed as a monolithic, sculptural form that translates the scale between the particular planet and our center, the sun. The outcome engages the path and the surrounding context from various perspectives. Utilizing the general flow of the commuters, the sculptural elements reveal the scale of our planetary relationships.
Uranus Colored Glass Gradient

The colored glass elements produce a volumetric shape to act as a cognitive representation of the relationship of scale. 

The physical form appears to transform the color and scale of the planets as the viewer walks and interacts with the piece. The refraction of the glass color on the ground also calls attention to the sun’s location creating an ever-evolving public art installation.

Scale of Pluto:Sun detail
Sun detail

Utilizing the visible, vertical surfaces of the columns along Woodruff Avenue the project create s an animated experience, as the commuters perceive the installation in physical motion. Within the sculptural glass, the color of each planet fuses with the color of the sun along the path.

Installation View
Pluto Detail
Material Detail
Material Detail
Installation View
Example of Context
This project is inspired by the idea of translating the solar system’s scale into sculptural form and creating an experience that gets infused with life as it gets used by it’s visitors. Taking inspiration from minimalism, Depeña creates an original artwork and transforms the pedestrian viewpoint into a dynamic and interactive experience. Each planet location was developed as a monolithic, sculptural form that translates the scale between the particular planet and our center, the sun. The outcome engages the path and the surrounding context from various perspectives. Utilizing the general flow of the commuters, the sculptural elements reveal the scale of our planetary relationships. The colored glass elements produce a volumetric shape to act as a cognitive representation of the relationship of scale. The physical form appears to transform the color and scale of the planets as the viewer walks and interacts with the piece. The refraction of the glass color on the ground also calls attention to the sun’s location creating an ever-evolving public art installation. Utilizing the visible, vertical surfaces of the columns along Woodruff Avenue the project create s an animated experience, as the commuters perceive the installation in physical motion. Within the sculptural glass, the color of each planet fuses with the color of the sun along the path.