A131_Silicon Valley Landmark
San Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose Sky Dome is a 200 feet tall urban landmark located at Arena Green West. Its sculptural structure symbolizes the culture of innovation that characterizes Silicon Valley grounded on the exchange of ideas and connection of people. Its volume, inspired by the traditional hut built by the Ohlone communities, provides a symbolic link between past, present and a sustainable future.
Inside, the Path of Innovation connects viewpoints and Sky-Bubbles presenting the history of innovation in Silicon Valley. By night, an art lighting project produces dynamic environments activated by the movement of visitors and the environmental conditions of the site.
It celebrates the culture of innovation of San Jose community that has led the city to become the capital of Silicon Valley.
The sculptural structure of the landmark is made of a dense three-dimensional mesh that symbolizes the collective spirit of the culture of innovation of Silicon Valley.
An innovative spirit that is strongly grounded on the exchange of ideas and connection of people to form growing networks and communities.
The volume is inspired by the form of the traditional hut built by the Ohlone communities who lived from ancestral times in the valley. It provides a symbolic connection between the innovation spirit of Silicon Valley and the technology used by the first cultures that inhabited the shore of Guadalupe River, understanding the Primitive Hut as a metaphorical link between past, present and a sustainable future.
The Path of Innovation is a skywalk that runs through the entire space of the sculptural structure connecting several viewpoints that offer different views over the city. The path represents a chronological trip along the history of innovation in Silicon Valley illustrated with interpretation points that present milestones such as the traditional hut built by the Ohlone communities, San Jose electric light tower, the audio oscillator, the integrated circuit chip or the personal computer. The path also guides visitors to seven spheric glazed rooms named Sky-Bubbles that host different programs such as art installations, sound sculptures, or sky-bars.
The art lighting project uses interactive systems activated by the movement of visitors to illuminate the paths where they walk saving energy and reducing light pollution, and also generating random trails of light that symbolize the flow of information produced during the creative process that leads to innovation. A parallel responsive lighting system collects and contrasts some environmental data from the site such as meteorological conditions, traffic, air quality and noise pollution. It produces lighting compositions that visualize the impact produced by humans in our natural environment pointing why innovation needs to be focused on preserving the natural environment. Remote controlled lighting can be programmed to create dynamic environments in special events and celebrations.
Net-zero energy can be achieved by minimizing the consumption of energy with passive systems and by generating renewable energy on the site with building-integrated solar array.
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