DATA STRUCTURE
- ROLE: PRODUCER, CREATIVE LEAD, CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST/SOFTWARE DEVELOPER
- FOR: SOSOLIMITED
- STATUS: COMPLETED
- PRESS: VIRGINIA.EDU
Data Structure, a soaring digital sculpture at the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science, brings data to life through light and motion. Rising through the multi-story atrium of the school’s new building, the 45-foot-tall installation transforms raw data into flowing cascades of illumination that reveal the hidden patterns within the data—making it not just analyzable but experiential. The installation's remarkably slender profile—it occupies just a single square foot—allows it to maintain the building's visual openness while activating the entire volume of the atrium.
The school was founded in 2019 in order to “further discovery, share knowledge, and make a positive impact on society through collaborative, open, and responsible data science research and education.” Our challenge was to create an installation that embodies this goal while transforming abstract data concepts into something tangible and captivating for students, faculty, and visitors. The new building, designed around principles of openness and collaboration, provided the ideal setting for our installation.
Data Structure’s design draws directly from two fundamental elements of computing, one digital and one physical: the array, a basic structure for storing and organizing data; and the 7-segment display, computing’s most iconic visual interface. By reimagining these forms at an architectural scale, the installation creates an immersive experience with an immediate connection to computing history.
Rising like a digital spine, Data Structure chains together 20 crystalline lanterns—each a 22-inch tall box with a 12-inch square footprint. Within each lantern, four geometric aluminum frames house 7 luminous bars that echo the iconic 7-segment displays of early computing, creating a visual language that bridges past innovation and future possibility. Embodying the school’s commitment to transparency and openness, the sculpture proudly exposes its inner architecture—revealing the circuit boards that choreograph patterns of light and the structural elements binding each form. These deliberate acts of exposure transform technical components into aesthetic elements, rejecting the "black box" paradigm that often shrouds technology. Instead, Data Structure presents an honest, open framework where every wire and connection becomes part of the narrative—inviting observers to trace the path from data input to illuminated output.
The lanterns function as elements in a one-dimensional data array. Through them, data submitted by students and faculty cascades through space, creating ever-changing rhythmic patterns of light that transform the atrium from a mere circulation space into a destination for contemplation and conversation. Driven by the unique attributes of the dataset on display, the light’s color and movement evoke the feeling of information flowing through computational systems—at times ordered and predictable, at others surprising and emergent.
Data Structure’s sublime, elongated profile creates an immediate sense of wonder and mystery, as visitors to the school encounter illuminated patterns that appear to float freely below large skylights, untethered from physical constraints—much like digital information itself. The story behind the data on display and the sculpture’s illumination pattern unfolds on the interactive touchscreen positioned just below the sculpture, grounding the sculpture and revealing the real-world impact of the school’s work. In this way, Data Sculpture functions as both art and educational tool.
What begins as a singular intervention multiplies throughout the space as the sculpture is mirrored across the building's many reflective surfaces. The school is filled with data that shift and transform as people move through the space, suggesting how different perspectives on data reveal new patterns and open up new insights.
At night, the structure's luminous presence extends beyond the building's confines, becoming a shimmering beacon that symbolizes the school's role as a center for data innovation and intellectual discovery. Strategically positioned at the gateway to UVA's new Ivy Corridor—a 14.5-acre development serving as a vital connector linking different areas of the campus—Data Structure stands as a visual marker that welcomes visitors to this collaborative nexus.
Most significantly, Data Structure embodies the school’s commitment to making data science accessible and meaningful. By visualizing the rhythm of data that shapes our world, the installation stands as a physical embodiment of the school’s vision: connecting people to place through data, making the complexities of data science tangible, and demonstrating how data, when approached responsibly, can benefit society.
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