A series of colorful solar facades and photovoltaic murals give the SunRise tower in Alberta, Canada, renewable energy. Once an aging, 12-story residential building, the retrofit by Mitrex with murals by indigenous artist Lance Cardinal can help reduce carbon emissions by using the building-integrated photovoltaics. These are solar panels that don’t look like the regular ones with a bluish tint. Instead, they resemble tiles or panels, with the energy-absorbing technology hiding underneath them. 

The building-integrated solar facades and photovoltaic murals in Alberta, Canada, work as the sunlight hits the surface of the panels. During the retrofit, the company made sure that the system was large enough to meet the energy goals of the project, so they improved the original plan, which was only for a 60 kW system, and increased it to 267 kW. That big jump can help the building exceed the 50 percent carbon reduction target.

all images courtesy of Mitrex

solar facades and photovoltaic murals in alberta, canada

The colorful solar facades and photovoltaic murals outside of the SunRise tower in Alberta, Canada, double as street art. The building-integrated panels come in a mosaic of granite tones and bright orange, yellow, blue, and purple accents. The murals are found on the northern wall of the building, standing tall at 85 feet, by the Edmonton-based Indigenous artist Lance Cardinal. These photovoltaic murals next to the solar facades in Alberta, Canada, are a tribute to First Nations and Chinese cultures, which are part of the history of the area. It is dubbed the world’s largest BIPV mural, and at the time of publishing, it is being officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records. The system is not painted but built directly into the solar panel system. 

Mitrex and the building team, including the architect MBC Group and the contractor Chandos Development, worked carefully to make sure the project would be realized. Before the renovation, the energy company studied the aging building’s needs, created energy models, tested panel colors, and planned a rainscreen system to keep the building safe from different weather conditions. In the end, Mitrex’s solar facades and photovoltaic murals were installed on all four sides of the building in Alberta, Canada (the murals being on the northern wall). The total system is 267 kilowatts, enough to create around 180,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy per year, and it is equal to the amount of power used by 23 homes in one year.

these solar facades and murals in Canada resemble tiles or panels with the energy-absorbing technology

they cover the four sides of the building

construction view of the solar facades and murals of SunRise tower in Canada

the retrofit by Mitrex with murals by indigenous artist Lance Cardinal can help reduce carbon emissions

view of the the retrofit by Mitrex with murals by indigenous artist Lance Cardinal

project info:

name: SunRise Retrofit

company: Mitrex | @mitrex_solar

artist: Lance Cardinal | @lancecardinal75

architect: MBC Group

contractor: Chandos Development | @chandosltd

location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada 

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Dutch street artist Frankey unveils Hubbabubbabuilding, a new bubblegum-inspired sculpture perched atop a roof on the Zandvoort promenade in the Netherlands. The site-specific installation features a 4-meter-tall caricature of Frankey himself, balanced on a ladder and blowing an enormous bubble of pink chewing gum that appears to burst out of the building’s windows. The piece debuts as part of Street Art Zandvoort 2025 and acts as a preview for Gumballin’ 2, the sequel to the artist’s 2020 solo show.

all images courtesy of Frankey

playful sculpture marks the start of Gumballin’ 2 exhibition

Hubbabubbabuilding reflects Frankey’s signature style of ‘positive interventions’—humorous, unexpected elements that momentarily reframe the built environment. Playful and cartoonish in form, the figure injects a dose of absurdity and childlike wonder into the seaside skyline. ‘Chewing gum is perhaps the weirdest product on earth,’ the Dutch artist explains. ‘It’s pointless, and maybe that’s the point. In its uselessness lies something real: wonder, play, fun.’

The installation not only nods to Frankey’s own likeness but also to the familiar act of bubble-blowing. Set against the backdrop of Zandvoort’s rooftops, the giant gum bubble reads as both joyful disruption and whimsical monument, prompting passersby to pause and look up. Hubbabubbabuilding also signals the official start of Gumballin’ 2, a forthcoming exhibition that continues the themes explored in Frankey’s earlier work at the Gashouder. While the first show positioned bubblegum as a playful material and metaphor, the upcoming sequel promises to delve deeper into its cultural and emotional resonances. The rooftop intervention os set to remain on view through September 6th, 2025.

the 4-meter-tall figure is a caricature of frankey himself, mid-bubble, balanced on a ladder high above the street

playful and absurd, Hubbabubbabuilding invites passersby to pause, smile, and look up

part street art, part self-portrait, and part ode to childhood wonder

the rooftop sculpture transforms bubble-blowing into public spectacle

‘chewing gum is pointless—and maybe that’s the point,’ says Frankey of the inspiration behind the piece

the artist rendered in cartoonish form, frozen in a playful act of bubble-blowing

project info: 

name: Hubbabubbabuilding
artist: Frankey | @streetartfrankey
location: Zandvoort, the Netherlands 

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Banksy has broken his silence after posting a new sentimental lighthouse mural on May 20th, 2025, on his Instagram. The image shows a street bollard in an unknown location. Adjacent to it, there’s a shadow that runs through the floor, a gray-seeming paint, before it rises into a towering lighthouse. Sprayed white lines come out of Banksy’s lighthouse mural, depicting the rovering beam within the tower. In the middle of the tower, these are the words written in all capital letters: I want to be what you saw in me. The Banksy lighthouse mural is modest compared to what he has done in the past. It’s also clear that it shies away from his usual socio-political commentary.

all images courtesy of Banksy

Unknown location may be in marseille

Users on Instagram have expressed their thoughts on the recent artwork by the artist. Some of them attempt to guess where the location of Banksy’s lighthouse mural is. A few users believe the artwork is in Le Panier, Marseille, France, just by looking at the surroundings and the second image with a couple walking their dogs. Others notice how sentimental the artwork is, while some put their own spin on what the lighthouse mural and its message mean. 

This is the first time Banksy has posted again. The last time he did was in December 2024, with the mural of Nursing Madonna. Before then, he had also shared a mural, which he had created right on the walls of the London Zoo. Here, a gorilla lifts a veil and frees the animals locked in the zoo. It’s an attempt to comment on how these dubbed wildlife parks aren’t giving the animals the degrees of freedom they should have.  

view of the Banksy lighthouse mural

the artist’s Nursing Madonna mural posted in December 2024

the artist’s mural on the walls of the London zoo | read more here

project info:

artist: Banksy | @banksy

The post banksy returns with a sentimental lighthouse mural in an ‘unknown’ location appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Polish textile artist Alicja Kozłowska redefines the boundaries between craft and street art in Banksy Who?, a public art series that brings embroidery to the urban landscape. Comprising seven large-scale embroidered graffiti works, along with crocheted balaclavas and hand-stitched spray cans, the project fuses traditional textile techniques with the raw, expressive language of graffiti. Set against the backdrop of city walls and industrial settings, Banksy Who? challenges preconceived notions of both mediums—provoking viewers to see embroidery not as delicate decoration, but as a bold, contemporary form of protest and expression.

ARTISTS SKULL – embroidered graffiti by Alicja Kozłowska | all images courtesy of Alicja Kozłowska

Banksy Who? reimagines graffiti through embroidered textures

Alicja Kozłowska draws from the visual intensity and immediacy of street art, but trades aerosol paint for thread, beads, and fabric. By introducing the tactile richness of textiles to the urban canvas, the Polish textile artist and designer adds depth and dimension that spray paint alone cannot achieve. Embroidery becomes a tool for storytelling and resistance—each stitch a deliberate mark, echoing the energy of graffiti tags and murals while offering a new, layered materiality. Beads shimmer like fresh paint, quilted textures emulate worn city surfaces, and stitched motifs stand defiantly where murals might once have been.

BANKSY WHO? textile piece on a trash can 

reclaiming public space through a raw textile language

The project is not only a visual intervention but also a conceptual one. Banksy Who? seeks to upend the hierarchy that often separates ‘high’ art from street culture, or traditional craft from contemporary commentary. By integrating centuries-old techniques into the ephemeral, rebellious realm of graffiti, Kozłowska breathes new life into textile art—proving it can be raw, political, and urgent. The accompanying photoshoot, capturing each piece embedded within real city environments, further emphasizes the work’s mission: to reclaim public space with thread as its medium and message.

With Banksy Who?, Kozłowska speaks to a new generation—inviting them to see embroidery not as an artifact of the past, but as an evolving, boundary-pushing practice deeply connected to urban life. In doing so, she not only reshapes the narrative around textile arts but also stitches her own place into the fabric of contemporary visual culture.

BANKSY WHO?
PAINTSUCKS 2 textile piece

PAINTSUCKS 2

the project reclaims public space with thread as its medium and message

BANANA embroidered graffiti piece in an elevator

BANKSY WHO? on a wall 

textile piece on a wall 

SOFT VANDALISM

SOFT VANDALISM

SOFT VANDALISM

project info:

name: Banksy Who?
designer: Alicja Kozlowska | @alice.kozlow

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom

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The Diesel Fall/Winter 2025 runway show broke new ground, transforming a traditional catwalk into an oversized, inflatable, and occupiable artwork. Set within what is said to be the largest graffiti installation ever created, the space takes shape with over three kilometers of hand-painted fabric, wrapped in the raw, expressive marks of more than 7,000 graffiti artists. The show is created as a visual manifesto. The set, sprawling and unconventional, invites spectators into a chaotic dialogue between fashion and street culture.

The set design is a collaborative artwork of unprecedented scale. Glenn Martens, Diesel’s creative director, enlisted a global street art collective, spanning artists from China, South Africa, the United States, and beyond. Weeks before the show, six miles of blank white fabric were sent out to graffiti artists, both amateur and professional, across the globe. By the time it returned to be assembled for the show, the fabric was covered with spray-painted signatures, murals, and abstract expressions, each a personal contribution to the whole. Martens, reflecting on this process, emphasized that ‘the true democracy of Diesel’ was on display.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Diesel (@diesel)

diesel resurrects an inflatable icon

An important element of the Diesel Fall/Winter 2025 show is the return of an iconic figure — the colossal inflatable doll from Diesel’s Spring/Summer 2023 runway. Originally used as a symbol of the brand’s rebellious spirit, the massive figure was resurrected and reimagined, this time as a canvas for the graffiti artists’ work. Designed by Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck, the towering sculpture loomed over the runway, its surface now covered in vibrant, spontaneous graffiti. No longer a symbol, the doll is transformed into a sprawling artwork, embodying the collaborative energy that defined the show. Its reappearance added a sense of continuity, but also a bold evolution — what once felt like a provocation is now a celebration of artistic community.

image courtesy Diesel

the collaborative work on a global scale

With its Fall/Winter 2025 show, Diesel did something uncommon in high fashion, which is to give the space back to the streets. The set celebrates street art with an installation on an unprecedented scale. The graffiti is neither polished nor controlled — it is raw, unfiltered, and deeply personal, yet shared by a collective of artists from around the world. From bold tags to intricate murals, the diversity of styles creates a patchwork of voices, speaking in different languages but united by a common form of expression.

Diesel didn’t just invite a global audience to view the show, it invited them to create it. Fabric was dispatched to artists from places as far apart as the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Japan, and India, as Diesel shattered the usual boundaries of a fashion show. This way, the set was built by thousands. As Dennis Vanderbroeck noted, the project is ‘a celebration of artistry, community, and inclusivity.’ It gives artists — whether from prestigious art schools or grassroots graffiti crews — the freedom to contribute. In an industry often defined by exclusivity, this show created a platform where the creative process became open and shared.

image courtesy Diesel

image courtesy Diesel

image courtesy Diesel

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by STUDIO DENNIS VANDERBROECK (@studiodennisvanderbroeck)

project info:

designer: Diesel | @diesel

creative director: Glenn Martens | @glennmartens
spatial design: Studio Dennis Vanderbroeck | @studiodennisvanderbroeck
produced: Fasten Seat Belt | @fastenseatbeltofficial
styling: Ursina Gysi | @ursinagysi
sound design: Senjan Jansen | @sen_studio
lighting design: Franz & Fritz | @franzandfritz
the studio: Still Studio | @corentin_still / @joep_truijen
content: @delfino_sl @melaniadallegrave

The post diesel fall/winter 2025 runway show takes over inflatable graffiti-covered installation appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Downtown Miami welcomes a dazzling addition to its skyline as Southeast Financial Center (SEFC) unveils the largest rooftop mural of the city, The Miami Collection, created by French artist Mantra and curated by Justkids art consulting firm.

Spanning 3,250 square meters, the monumental artwork transforms the rooftop into a celebration of biodiversity. Youri Cansell, also known as Mantra, celebrated for his hyper-realistic trompe-l’oeil murals, has adorned SEFC’s rooftop with a collection of his signature vibrant butterflies, rendered to mimic their lifelike presence. Despite the challenges of working on a rooftop—strong winds and morning ocean dampness—the French muralist’s latest work is his most ambitious to date, completed over six weeks and requiring 400 hours of painting and 200 gallons of paint. Remarkably, the mural was executed freehand, without grids or projections, showcasing the artist’s precision and sense of scale.

images courtesy of Justkids.art

the freehand mural showcases native endaNgered species

Known for blending scientific precision with artistic flair, Mantra’s work elevates the small yet essential components of nature to monumental proportions. His butterfly mural at Florida’s largest office tower, designed to appear as though the specimens are gently perched on the rooftop, highlights the urgent need for biodiversity conservation. The artwork, curated by the global creative firm Justkids, features several species, including the endangered Miami Blue, native to South Florida, offering a poignant reminder of the delicate balance of our ecosystems. 

‘It’s always a pleasure to paint in Miami, a city that thrives on its vibrant mix of people and cultures—much like the butterflies in my mural, which represent a diverse selection of specimens,’ shares Mantra. ‘This is my largest mural to date, and I am excited to see it come to life. I am grateful to Southeast Financial Center for giving me the space to create something of this magnitude.’

downtown Miami welcomes The Miami Collection, a dazzling addition to its skyline

created by French artist Mantra and curated by Justkids art consulting firm

a collection of Mantra’s signature butterflies adorns SEFC’s rooftop

the artist is celebrated for his hyper-realistic trompe-l’oeil murals

Southeast Financial Center unveils the largest rooftop mural of the city

Mantra is celebrated for his hyper-realistic trompe-l’oeil murals

the butteflies look like they’re about to fly

The Miami Collection mural spans 3,250 square meters

Mantra’s work elevates the small yet essential components of nature to monumental proportions

project info: 

name: The Miami Collection
artist: Mantra | @mantrarea
curation: Justkids | @justkidsofficial
location: Southeast Financial Center | @sefc.miami, Miami, USA
area: 3,250 square meters (35,000 square feet)

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The bustling La Courrouze district in Rennes, France, has become the focus of an innovative urban art initiative aimed at enhancing safety and community connection. The city invited graphic designer and illustrator Florent Chamiot-Poncet, known as Wood Campers, alongside ilta studio, to reimagine Place Jeanne Laurent—a space where pedestrian safety is compromised by motorists disregarding priority. Responding to this challenge, the creative duo unveiled a vibrant solution: a playful installation of 60 bespoke, colorful and artsy traffic signs designed to transform the urban landscape and promote mindful navigation. 

60 bespoke, colorful traffic signs transform the landscape in Rennes | all images courtesy of Florent Chamiot-Poncet / Wood Campers

Wood Campers & ILTA Studio create Playful Streetscapes

The traffic signs by illustrator Wood Campers and creative practice ilta studio inject a burst of color and character into the streets, showcasing a lively array of playful designs. Cheerful faces with freckled cheeks, mischievous grins, quirky hairstyles, grumpy pouts, and eccentric mustaches populate the district, captivating the attention of both pedestrians and motorists. Each sign, repurposed from original traffic markers, comes in various shapes and sizes, often stacked to amplify their visual impact. Alongside these illustrations, written messages urge drivers to slow down, blending humor and charm with a serious purpose. This inventive graphic design approach seeks to heighten awareness and encourage safer behavior in an unconventional yet effective way.

alongside these illustrations, written messages urge drivers to slow down

mischievous grins, quirky hairstyles and grumpy pouts populate the area

the traffic signs inject a burst of color and character into the streets

each sign, repurposed from original traffic markers, comes in various shapes, sizes, and colors

cheerful faces with freckled cheeks can be found in the district

the production process of the traffic signs

project info:

name: 60 customized traffic signs 
artist: Wood Campers | @wood_campers and ilta studio | @ilta.studio

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: myrto katsikopoulou | designboom

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Yayoi Kusama wraps more than 60 trees with her recognizable polka dots before the opening of her major exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) International in Melbourne. Named Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees, they stand in line along St Kilda Road, just in front of the NGV International.

They’re a public-art preview, already welcoming passersby walking down the street ahead of the show’s premiere on December 15th, 2024. The exhibition ‘Yayoi Kusama’ runs until April 21st, 2025, and showcases nearly 200 of her works. Visitors are afforded the artist’s iconic sculptures, including the Dancing Pumpkin and Narcissus Garden.

all photos by Tobias Titz © YAYOI KUSAMA, courtesy of NGV International, unless stated otherwise

Narcissus Garden from venice biennale appears in melbourne

It’s not the exhibition debut of Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees in front of NGV International. Yayoi Kusama first brought them to the Kirishima Open Air Museum in Japan in 2002. The difference is that they were white polka dots over red fabric in Japan, and in Melbourne, the artist has painted white dots over bright pink cloth. This design extends to the museum’s glass waterwall. When visitors step inside NGV International for the exhibition, they see a pink-and-black polka-dot design gracing the entryway of the art museum. 

They keep walking forward, and they should see Yayoi Kusama’s interaction with the Narcissus Garden. It’s an installation with 1,400 reflective silver balls, each 30-centimeter in diameter, presented in the open when the visitors enter the building, past the entryway. They’re on the floor in front of the waterwall, and some of them are also in the Federaction Court of the museum, mirroring the surroundings. Just like the polk dots around trees, it’s not the first appearance of the silver balls. The artist first presented the installation, although unofficially, during the Venice Biennale in 1966. She brings them over once again just for her major exhibition in Melbourne.

Yayoi Kusama’s Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees, 2002/2024

Dancing pumpkin in bronze sculpture arrives at the exhibition

Out to the Federation Court of the NGV International, the giant bronze pumpkin sculpture that the art museum recently acquired towers over the visitors. It’s five meters tall, and three of its octopus-like tentacles are swerving and flowy, hovering above the floor to suggest that it’s jiving. It’s the Dancing Pumpkin after all, which Yayoi Kusama produced in 2020. It’s one of her largest and most ambitious pumpkins to date, so it’s only just to have it over at the NGV International for her major exhibition. There’s a room in the museum called the Great Hall, and in here, visitors find Yayoi Kusama’s Dots Obsession, which she conceived in 1996.

The presentation is how the name sounds because large yellow and black infalatable bviny spheres with polka dots hang overhead and under Leonard French’s iconic cut glass in the hall. They look like stars in the dark sky. That’s relatable because for Yayoi Kusama, dots symbolize the individual, and they’re in great numbers like this installation, they represent the cosmos. It’s an exhibition for visitors of all ages, including children. The NGV International also hosts a children’s gallery for the show, the space where Yayoi Kusama’s The Obliteration Room is housed.

the trees wrapped in polka dots are on display along St Kilda Road, Melbourne

The Obliteration Room (2002 – present) is a large-scale interactive installation. It’s a bright white room at first, and the space asks all visitors to color it with polka dots however and wherever they want. It’s part of the reason it’s called The Obliteration Room: it’s not heavy on the negative connotation of the word, but the process of ‘fragmenting something to return it to the universe,’ as the artist describes it. That takes place then by adding bright and vibrant dots to the white furniture and room. The act affirms the artist’s familiar practice and the idea behind the room. With around 200 of her works in place, the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at NGV International is dubbed the largest ever show of the artists in Australia and one of her most comprehensive retrospectives ever presented globally.

In this show, the artist also showcases her paintings, collages, fashion pieces, and videos, all displaying her multidisciplinary practice. Her infinity rooms that use mirrors to create the illusion of infinite space are present, including a never-before-seen kaleidoscopic one. The exhibition also features the Australian premiere of The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe, 2019, with its six-meter-high tentacular forms covered in yellow-and-black polka dots. The Yayoi Kusama exhibition opens at NGV International on December 15th, 2024, and visitors can catch the show until April 21st, 2025.

Yayoi Kusama’s major exhibition at NGV International in Melbourne opens on December 15th, 2024

Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden, 1966/2024, and Untitled, 2024

for Yayoi Kusama’s Narcissus Garden, 1966/2024, there are 1,400 reflective silver balls on the floor

Untitled, 2024 has black dots over a pink globe

Yayoi Kusama’s Dancing Pumpkin, 2020 | pumpkin photos by Sean Fennessy

Dancing Pumpkin, 2020 is on display for the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at NGV International, Melbourne

detailed view of the Dancing Pumpkin, 2020

portrait of Yayoi Kusama © YAYOI KUSAMA by Yusuke Miyazaki, courtesy of Ota Fine Arts

project info:

exhibition name: Yayoi Kusama

artist: Yayoi Kusama | @yayoikusama_

museum: National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) International | @ngvmelbourne

location: 180 St Kilda Rd, Melbourne VIC 3006, Australia

dates: December 15th, 2024 to April 21st, 2025

The post yayoi kusama wraps 60 trees in pink and white polka dots ahead of NGV show in melbourne appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

At Assembly Bristol in England, Alex Chinneck brings over three recent sculptures, all cast in metal: two knotted street lamps and one twisted phone booth. They join his earlier tied post box public art installed on Cheese Lane, which marks its re-opening as a public right of way after a 50-year closure. Passerbys around the city’s waterfront location can see how much detailing the artist has poured to make his street sculptures as hyperrealistic as possible.

They’re not just immobile decorations too, because they light up at night, illuminating the streets with a warm glow. The British sculptor, who has also brought a giant looping steel boat to Sheffield, uses metal as his main material for his four sculptures. When he twists his traditional British phone box titled ‘Wring ring’, he also glazes the windows that follow the twisting so they appear skewed too. This sculpture stands outside Building A at the Assembly Bristol.

all photos by Charles Emerson, courtesy of Alex Chinneck

Knotted street lamps and red-painted post box sculptures

Two of the recent metal sculptures that Alex Chinneck plants at the Assembly Bristol are both street lamps. One is tied like a ribbon, with their heads bent down as they descend from the knot, while the other has their poles interlaced, their heads still pointed to the sky as they seemingly share a passionate hug. It’s because of the latter’s pose that the British sculptor names it ‘First Kiss at last light’, and both of these brighten up the dark streets at night.

The four-meter-tall sculptures rise in front of Bristol’s Floating Harbour wall, finally accompanying Alphabetti Spaghetti, which is the knotted post box. This red fire-hydrant-looking sculpture made its debut overnight in three towns and cities around the UK as part of Alex Chinneck’s temporary and multi-sited installation in 2019. He painted it with pillar-box red so that it complements the design of his recent twisted phone box, the Assembly building by architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, and the historic cobbles of Cheese Lane. These playful street sculptures by Alex Chinneck are on view at the Assembly Bristol. 

street lamps tied like a ribbon as one of Alex Chinneck’s recent sculptures at Assembly Bristol

First Kiss at last night, Alex Chinneck

the metal sculptures light up at night, illuminating the streets around Assembly Bristol

Wring ring, Alex Chinneck

the glazed windows follow the twisting form of the phone booth

detailed view of the twist

knotted post box by Alex Chinneck

the post box marks the re-opening of Cheese Lane as a public right of way after a 50-year closure

sculptor Alex Chinneck beside his Wring ring street art

project info:

artist: Alex Chinneck | @alexchinneck

location: Assembly Bristol, England, UK

artworks produced with: Millimetre, Smith and Wallwork Engineers, Morris Singer, Pangolin Editions | @millimetremakes, @smithandwallwork, @morrissingerfoundry, @pangolineditions

photography: Charles Emerson | @charlesemerson_

The post alex chinneck knots street lamps and twists a phone booth for his assembly bristol sculptures appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

A bold fusion of sports, street art, and cultural heritage, Katrien Vanderlinden’s basketball court in Abu Dhabi lets you shoot some hoops on a Middle Eastern rug. The space draws inspiration from Boston Celtics motifs, intersected with triangular and diamond geometries characteristic of the traditional Emirati Sadu weaving style. The bright colors and intricate details, such as painted tassels along the edges, create the illusion of a real rug when viewed from above.

all images courtesy of Katrien Vanderlinden

a fusion of sports, street art, and cultural heritage

Despite its artistic flair, Katrien Vanderlinden’s hypecourt retains all necessary game lines, allowing visitors to play basketball according to official rules. The Boson Celtics’ influence is also evident in subtle references to the team’s legacy, blending playfully with the Middle Eastern cultural elements.

Commissioned by the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi and the Boston Celtics, the Ghent-based artist’s design serves as both an artwork and a functional court, inviting basketball enthusiasts and art lovers alike to the waterfront. At sunset, the court’s vibrant colors and detailed patterns are emphasized, injecting a visual icon into the Reem Central Park’s landscape, the bold hues peeking out between the palm trees.

Katrien Vanderlinden fuses sports, street art, and cultural heritage

the bright colors and intricate details create the illusion of a real rug when viewed from above

its triangular and diamond geometries are characteristic of the traditional Emirati Sadu weaving style

hypecourt retains all necessary game lines, allowing visitors to play basketball according to official rules

painted tassels along the edges

commissioned by the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi and the Boston Celtics

the design serves as both an artwork and a functional court

project info:

name: Celtics Rug
artist: Katrien Vanderlinden

location: Abu Dhabi, UAE

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom

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