The Dynamic Weather Clock at 46 Penn Centre: A Unifying Data-Driven Art Piece for Kansas City
StandardVision was engaged by Block Real Estate to develop a unique generative artwork for their new digital display atop the 46 Penn Live/Work building in the historic Country Club Plaza in the heart of Kansas City, MO. The StandardVision team worked to create a data-driven artwork that is not only of-the-moment, but also a spectacle that invites participation form viewers on the streets below.
A Unifying Beacon for the Community
To honor and represent the historical setting of the building within Kansas City, the Dynamic Weather Clock was inspired by the concept of a traditional clock tower, which has a unique way of bringing people together with a sense of time and place. With the goal of creating a generative artwork that is meditative but also informative, StandardVision elevated the idea by creating a codified language within the artwork that could be interpreted into something meaningful by the viewer.
A New Take on the Traditional Clock Tower
The Dynamic Weather Clock serves as an ever-changing spectacle that responds to environmental conditions while also containing an art and data-driven symbology that displays information relating to current and future conditions. By fostering a sense of community and providing passersby with a dynamic public art display, the Dynamic Weather Clock represents how technology-driven conceptual artworks can enrich public space.
StandardVision's Turnkey Approach
Beyond creating the site-specific artwork at 46 Penn Centre, StandardVision designed, integrated, and installed the landmark display into the existing building and implemented the surrounding narrative video lighting to become an extension of the artwork playing on the facade, programmed entirely by StandardVision's proprietary content management software, SVRunner. StandardVision has also launched a rotating public art program in collaboration with building owner Block Real Estate Services featuring a range of work by local and international artists such as Matthew Willie Garcia, Zlatko Cosic, Maggie West, FLOAT, Julius Horsthuis and more.