Beauty of Time Passing
An installation that embraces the quiet beauty in nature’s constant, uncontrollable change.
[DEVELOPMENT]
[SPATIAL EXPERIENCE]
[PHYSICAL–DIGITAL]
Beauty of Time Passing is a light installation that brings people closer to nature by translating real weather data into motion and color. Through illuminated glass bricks, shifting hues and rhythms echo digitally reconstructed natural scenes, allowing viewers to feel the dynamic and unpredictable qualities of weather. The result is a calming, ever-evolving atmosphere that mirrors nature’s constant, uncontrollable change.
The installation was exhibited at the Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show 2023 (21–29 October, Heuvel Galerie 133, Eindhoven) and was later featured in a Design Milk article.
Challenge
In our fast-paced, screen-driven world, we’re becoming increasingly detached from the natural environment. Although technology contributes to this disconnect, it also holds the potential to reconnect us. The challenge was to explore how technology could bridge this gap—without simulating nature superficially, but instead making its presence feel tangible and emotionally resonant.
Approach
Nature’s constant, uncontrollable change became the core concept. Weather data offered the perfect foundation, carrying the unpredictability and rhythm of real nature. Inspired by the way light reflects on floors in traditional Japanese architecture, and by the architectural use of glass bricks from the Art Deco era to the 1980s, I translated real-time weather information into abstract visuals and motions. The installation creates an atmosphere where digital technology subtly amplifies a sense of connection to nature.
Outcome
I created a set of nature-inspired 3D animation clips for different weather conditions and developed a custom web application that plays the appropriate clip based on real-time weather data. When projected onto glass bricks, the visuals disperse light into the space, producing shifting colors and movements. The result is an ever-evolving environment that encourages visitors to slow down and experience the quiet beauty of natural change.
3D NATURE
To create a sense of real nature, each scene was built as a moving environment in Houdini, using realistic lighting, motion, and seasonal transitions. Every weather condition—sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowy—was translated into its own 30-second looping animation, designed to feel continuous and alive without revealing the loop.
WEB APPLICATION
A custom web application selects which 3D animation to play by pulling real-time data from a weather API. The chosen scene is rendered in a WebGL (Three.js) environment and passed through a glass-like morphing filter that reacts to variables such as humidity or wind. This allows the visuals to constantly shift, making the experience feel as unpredictable as nature itself.
EMBRACE UNCONTROLLABILITY
Nature’s appeal often lies in its unpredictability—a quality celebrated in Japanese ukiyo-e prints by artists like Hiroshige Utagawa. Inspired by this, the installation embraces change rather than avoiding it. Weather data directly influences the visuals; on humid days they soften, while on clearer days they sharpen, mirroring the natural world’s subtle daily transformations.
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