What will the neighbours say? If they can manage any comment at all, it will probably be a variation on “wow”, as Mark’s House in Flint, Michigan, is impressive in a major way. The installation, scheduled to be dismantled this weekend, is the work of Two Islands studio and Sorensen Gross construction, and is the imagined home of a fictional Flint resident called Mark which falls victim to foreclosure. The mirrored cladding on the Tudor-style house creates the illusion that it is floating, and that’s just one of the clever aspects at play here.
As the shots from underneath reveal, it’s not as solid as it first appears. Mark’s House came into being as the winning entry in a competition to design a temporary summer pavilion to aid downtown regeneration, and although the pedestal alone weighs in at 4,000lbs and the structure can handle 90mph winds, the frame of the house is covered in a reflective cladding only 5mm thick. This Mylar material was chosen for its reactive characteristics – the surface stretches and wrinkles quickly depending on temperature and humidity presenting the viewer with an ever-changing experience – and at night, the 882 squares on the underside light up to reveal photographs of local people and project supporters. Brilliant work, people.
Photo, Two Islands
Photo, Gavin Smith
Photo, Jacquie Gagne
Photo, Gavin Smith
Photo, Two Islands
Photo, Two Islands
