Architects of Air’s beautiful ‘luminaria'
A new book, The Most Beautiful, depicts the work of a group called Architects of Air and their ephemeral sculptures called "Luminaria" that have captured the attention of millions of visitors around the world.
Each luminarium, which makes the properties of light easier to see and experience, is hand-made and experiments with colours and reflected and direct light. Artist Alan Parkinson first started exploring pneumatics, the use of compressed gas to create movement, in the early 1980’s, and founded Architects of Air in 1992.
Since then the company has built 21 luminaria, and more than three million visitors in at least 40 countries around the world have displayed Architects of Air's work. The book starts with the group's beginnings as a community project to its presence today, with detailed explanations of each luminarium, covering design, plans, and inspiration Quotes, and photographs taken by visitors and professionals round out the mix.
Parkinson writes:
"I design luminaria because I want to share my sense of the beauty of light. Drawing on inspiration from natural, geometric or architectural structures, these huge pneumatic environments are a meeting ground for generations and cultures and I hope the book goes some way to give a sense of the wonder people feel when entering."
