As both the curators and designers of FitNation, Abruzzo Bodziak Architects developed a traveling exhibit originating at New Yorks’ Center for Architecture that explores projects contributing to healthier lifestyles for individuals and communities. The exhibition showcases architectural means, policy-driven actions, and conceptual frameworks through a literal application of active design principles within the exhibition design and curation process.
Utilizing a modular system of wall-mounted and hanging “lenticular fins,” the design creates an energetic environment that encourages physical movement—the very subject of the show—while maintaining open space for the Center’s many events. Hypertext messages and color gradients are revealed as one moves through the gallery, and the exemplary projects are viewed through the fins one or two at a time, encouraging exploration of the entire display circuit.
The large hypertext “FIT” in the front window shifts alongside the viewer: its x-shape configuration allows the word to be viewed from various points, dematerializing when seen from other angles. Semi-reflective wall coverings on either side of the hanging panels bring the light and movement of the street into the gallery, multiplying the colorful elements and reinforcing the connection between the urban environment and civic health.
Working within a primarily print-based budget and planning for easy reproduction by other architectural institutions, ABA collaborated with Pentagram to develop a modular system in which all exhibit panels were assembled from standardized 11 × 17 printed segments. The exhibit then traveled to other insitutions, including AIA Birmingham.
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