YY Building

An ever-changing interactive installation at Canary Wharf’s YY Building, that offers tangible connections to the natural world.

Year: 2024
Location: Canary Wharf, London
Architect: BGY
Developer: Quadrant

The YY Building, located just outside the bustling Canary Wharf Station, stands as a new landmark in one of London’s most vibrant commercial areas and the capital’s main financial district. The building aims to attract new tenants through a space that offers tangible connections to the natural world.

Acrylicize was commissioned to create a unique installation for the main lobby - a 40-metre-long interactive, programmable lighting rig that responds to real-time changes in the surrounding environment. The piece provides an inviting experience that distinguishes the YY Building in a competitive real estate market, and offers a unique sense of place.

"Both technology and nature adapt, respond, and develop based on external stimulus, something this installation highlights and explores."

Sean Bendall-Whittaker, Head of R&D at Acrylicize

Client’s Vision

The primary objective for Oaktree, was to create an installation that not only stands out visually, but also encourages new tenancy. They specifically wanted the installation to never appear the same twice, being ambient, impactful, and energy efficient, resonating with wider bio-regenerative efforts taking place in the Canary Wharf area, and aligned with similar efforts championed by the Eden Project. The YY Building plays a pivotal role in this movement, featuring greenery, biophilic design, and sustainable architecture.

Key Design Elements

The 40-metre-long lighting structure was crafted from timber with embedded LEDs, set against the main lobby’s backdrop. It can be both passive and active, and reacts dynamically to the movement of people within the lobby space, as well as local tide patterns and changes in weather. Seamlessly combining technological innovation with natural aesthetics, the rig reinforces the concept of “technobiophilia”, bringing technology, nature, and people together. Visual patterns inspired by the local docks, views to the clouds above through Canary Wharf’s skyscrapers, and dappled light shining amongst the leaves of the tree which stands proudly in the heart of the lobby, create a serene atmosphere. Visitors and staff can also manually influence the installation through an iPad, adding a layer of personalisation and interactivity.

Reactivity on display at the security gates

“As more organisations embrace sustainability and biophilic design, this installation serves as a model for blending technological innovation with natural aesthetics.”

- Hannah Rummery, Creative Director at Acrylicize

Challenges & Solutions

One of the primary challenges on the project was responding to the client’s desire for a piece which never appeared the same twice. Our response was to make the piece reactive to as many variables as possible - including movement through doorways and security gates, tidal patterns, and changes in weather. We also had to overcome the challenge of visualising natural elements in a way that would accurately convey their ambience and unpredictability. We addressed this in part through use of softwares like Unreal Engine and Cinema 4D, influencing our design with simulated gravity, turbulence, and wind, to create distinct patterns that felt authentic and beautiful.