So, what is the Exxopolis Luminarium?
The Exxopolis Luminarium is a unique inflatable structure designed by Alan Parkinson designed to generate a sense of wonder at the beauty of light and color. Students are invited to enter the structure and explore the maze of winding paths and soaring domes that create an inspiring mix of design and engineering. See all of the luminaria at www.architects-of-air.com.
This experience of light came for the second year to UCSB. From the outside, it looks like a giant bouncy room set up next to the lagoon. It looks very out-of-place.
Moving inside there are odd shaped rooms with slits of colored light filtering through. Wandering through the corridors, you can choose moving left or right, each illuminated with different color schemes.
In little pocket rooms, people sit or lay to enjoy the music, the color, the warmth, and the bounciness of the floor. Some rooms play havoc with a quality camera’s snap. If there is red coming in on one side of the room and green on the other, you take a picture and it comes out so desaturated that it looks black and white. I only had my phone (someone said “why did you bring a toaster to take pictures?” – pretty weird) so the colors turned out OK.
This is a visual feast.