The post covid era is still emerging but one thing has been vital throughout the pandemic and going forward is outdoor spaces.

For many outdoor spaces have provided retreats where family and friends can meet up for the first time after months, along with places where people go to reflect and have a change of scenery from working at home. 

Allotted outdoor time has become precious and seen as being vital to our wellbeing both physically and mentally.

Studio-29 designed three installations, one at each entrance to St Martin's Courtyard, now re-named The Yards, to entice the public to explore the back streets and discover a new hidden gem.

The first installation was the dynamic colour change scheme from Mercer Street. 

This was designed to be an interactive installation utilising red, green and blue light projected through flower petal shapes within a suspended mirrored ceiling creating a winding path of white light. 

Once the beams of light are broken by walking underneath cyan, magenta and yellow shadows come into play.

The second installation is a dichroic glass canopy that protrudes into Upper St Martin’s Lane. 

The use of dichroic glass gave several different dimensions of colour, from the colour of the glass itself to the sun passing through from above and at night with artificial light accenting the colours.

The third installation was taking inspiration from Dale Chihuly glass sculptures and the way the coloured glass came to life with light. 

Larger than life flowers suspended across Slingsby Place were installed to be illuminated during the day capturing the suns rays and projecting light onto the pavement below.

Working with the architects Brimelow McSweeney, the back lit flower patterns were used in the new facade cladding and a new Corian terrace was made featuring the same flower patterns.

Judges described it as a brilliant transformation using light and colour.