THE MAGICAL HARP
JEN LEWIN STUDIO

PROJECT PROFILE:

Artist: Jen Lewin Studio
Title: The Magical Harp
Materials: Carbon Steel, Catalyzed Paint Coating, Interactive LED Technology
Technology Design: Jen Lewin Studio
Structural Fabrication + Installation: Demiurge
Location: The Magical Bridge Playground, Palo Alto, CA

Demiurge partnered with Jen Lewin Studio to complete the structural design development, fabrication, and installation of The Magical Harp. This interactive and technology driven design stands over ten feet tall and spans a distance of twenty-one feet. The square tube-like structure was laser cut from ¼” steel plate and fabricated into three separate sections, the two columns and the arch. Fabrication required the design and utilization of a custom jig to align the 24 LED sensor housings as well as adherence to strict tolerances that ensured the high quality of the finished piece.

From Jen Lewin Studio:
The Magical Harp is a permanent, outdoor interactive instrument played by passing your body through the 24 low-voltage diode LEDs that shine from the top of the delicate arch to the ground. Much like plucking the string of a harp, passing through the beams triggers custom circuitry and sensors to produce musical notes. Users play to create an ambiance that is individual to the moment of interaction that reflects the broad idea of play that’s still fun and sophisticated. When crowds flock to it and people start to play independently, the group’s chaotic activity give the piece life, as if everyone is, unknowingly, participating in a musical symphony. Each ‘string’ will mix its own library of sounds to create a depth and tone that compliments the public activity and random or organized play.

Magical Bridge Playground is the nation’s most innovative-inclusive playground, designed and built for visitors of all abilities. Designed to be a socially inclusive playground for children of varying physical and cognitive abilities, the Magical Bridge addresses the unique play needs of the many kinds of children in the community, creating awareness that today’s park designs are overlooking so many: the growing autistic population, visually and hearing impaired, physically limited and even our aging community. Uniting the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley with technology, heart and compassion, Magical Bridge is a new kind of playground. One, where everyone can play.