Material Atmospheres

Material Atmospheres is a series of five immersive installations exploring how light, colour and material can transform spatial experience. Responding to Manchester’s often grey and overcast environment, the project draws on the California Light and Space movement to create vibrant moments of sensory engagement within the city. Each installation is based on a material produced in Manchester or the wider North West, exploring its inherent qualities and its interaction with artificial light and saturated colour. Through glass, acrylic, cotton, steel and plastic, the project celebrates regional material identity while creating atmospheric environments intended to evoke curiosity, joy and wonder. Each installation is contained within a consistent matte-black cube, creating a unified identity across the series. Projected colour animates the exterior in response to occupancy, extending the atmosphere of each installation into the surrounding city and drawing passers-by towards the experience.