The Weather Channel wanted to boost awareness and engagement for their updated Weather Underground app through an event activation at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The opportunity to build a comprehensive physical and digital experience both inside and outside for event attendees, community locals and commuters sounded like the perfect project.
Weather happens all around us, every minute of every day. It doesn’t just take a torrential downpour or record-breaking snowstorm for weather to leave us in awe of its power and beauty. The playfulness in the changing breeze or sunlight dancing through the clouds is worth capturing and putting on display as well.
When you look up in Brooklyn, the changes you see aren’t just in the passing clouds. There is so much construction and progress happening 24/7 that the skyline itself transforms only a daily basis. People living in the city adapt to this transforming space as it becomes second nature to them.
Nature of Concepts
• Experience of the natural world in a man-made environment
• Creates an emotional dimension to weather
• Visually engaging
• Contemplative & thought-provoking
Engagement Factors
• Demands attention in a notable destination
• Social currency
• Gives emotional context to weather
• Personal connection
Brooklyn has, over the past 10 years, transformed into a borough that is nearly unrecognizable from its former self, at least on the surface. Underneath, Brooklynites are still as colorful, cultured, and diverse as they’ve always been. These following ideas explore the phenomenon of change—both in weather and daily life—that Brooklyn experiences on a daily basis.
The enormous oculus is the center piece of the exterior event. It will activate the experience and pull in event attendees and commuters to further explore all of the exciting physical and digital features. Perfectly timed animations and lighting effects will all help inspire the mood.
The Oculus will play a 360º time-lapse of the view from the top over the course of the installation, immersing visitors in the growth of the borough.
When you look up in Brooklyn, the changes you see aren’t just in the passing clouds. There is so much construction and progress happening 24/7 that the skyline itself transforms only a daily basis. This concept would capture the physical changes Brooklyn is going through, with the ever-present weather serving as the backdrop.
We would track the view from the top of the Barclays Center over the course of the 3 years we have at the Barclays Center, taking a picture at pre-determined times during the day looking out across Brooklyn to track the changes in both the sky and skyline, pumping them into an installation below that lets people see the transformation before their very eyes.
The weather affects everything from your commute to your attire to your mood. This concept would bring that reality to the art world. Over the course of three years we’ll commission permanent art pieces that are designed to change with the weather. From copper etchings to organic forms to water-soluble paint, the works will evolve over time and offer frequent visitors something to contemplate.
On the outside of one of our “tunnels” we’ll install some of these pieces of art, exposed to the elements. Inside we’ll have pictures of the pieces on day one, as well as screens showing the WU interface/forecast. In years 2-3 we’ll show historical weather data from the previous year and match it with a photo of what the art piece looked like a year ago on that day.
Brooklyn isn’t one homogenous borough, It’s comprised of dozens of distinct neighborhoods, each with it’s own vibe. This concept would represent each neighborhood with a New York City fire hydrant that adapts and reacts to the daily weather.
Tied to the weather station in its corresponding neighborhood, each fire hydrant will activate when that weather station hits a certain temperature. Visitors can wander in-between each hydrant waiting for the magical moment when it begins to gush water. Each hydrant will be labeled with its neighborhood and a screen that will show real time weather at that station.
Brooklyn is home to a number of killer street artists. We’d find some of our favorites (STIK, Giz, Bushwick Collective) and give them the prompt “Brooklyn Is Changing Faster Than the Weather” and let them tackle it in their own way.
Through a collection of digital and physical pieces, we’ll showcase the best Brooklyn street artists in a dynamic, thought-provoking way through their interpretation of “Brooklyn Is Changing Faster Than The Weather.” It’ll be a showcase of their borough pride and a springboard for a larger conversation about how the weather affects life in Brooklyn.
Right now, Brooklyn is loud. Construction, cars, traffic, music, yelling. Residents never get to sit and listen to the quiet patter of rain on the roof. The only time the city gets to truly sit and admire the weather is when a snowstorm shuts down the whole city. This concept would give visitors a chance to sit and appreciate the beauty of weather.
Sight, Smell, Sound...
From the pitter-pater of raindrops to the rustling of fall leaves in the wind, to the solitude of getting lost in a thick fog bank, we’ll excite the senses in a way most New Yorkers forget is possible.