Local designer Jyhling Lee has created a stainless steel sculpture informed by an origami bowl for an “iconic” street in Downtown Toronto.
Reflector is a mirrored sculpture approximately 5 metres by 3 metres tall that sits on a corner of Queen Street West in Downtown Toronto, a major thoroughfare through the city and one of the “most iconic” streets, according to the team.
The sculpture consists of a series of angled planes clad in mirrored stainless steel that form a half circle and meet the ground at several spiked points.
Its shape was informed by origami folds, which Jyhling Lee has referenced in past works, such as her sculpture Origami Goose.
“My initial folded paper origami studies were of bowl-like forms which could offer an experiential space within and around its form, as well as being self-supporting,” Lee told Dezeen.
What began as a more enclosed bowl was opened up – towards Queen Street West – to create an invitation for the public to enter the sculptural space to interact with its interior, as well as its exterior.
Lee also chose the mirrored steel surface to accommodate a “human attraction” to the reflective surfaces.
There is a refined beauty, awe, and precision to working with this material and a human attraction to mirrors and reflections,” she said.
Its steel form is “highly” durable and will be resistant to corrosion and rusting, according to Lee – and also easy to clean.
Lights around its base are programmed to turn on at sunset and off at sunrise.
Lee created the sculpture to reflect the lively energy of Queen Street West, which she has been familiar with since childhood.
“Queen Street West is one of Toronto’s most iconic streets and I have known this stretch of Queen Street since childhood,” said Lee.
“Reflector has been inspired by the energy and dynamism of this place, and its presence serves to amplify and celebrate this as a new community landmark.”
Commissioned by Queen Street West Business Improvement Area (QSWBIA) and the city of Toronto, the sculpture is intended to serve as an interactive public artwork and an “inhabitable environment”, according to the team.
“An unexpected surprise of the sculptural space is its unique acoustical properties,” said Lee.
Jyhling Lee is a Toronto-based designer and founder of Figureground Studio, which focuses on site-specific artworks for the public realm.
Elswhere in Toronto, Grimshaw created a series of pre-fabricated bridges to connect the city to urban islands and Agency—Agency and SHEEEP designed stormwater gardens for a linear park underneath an expressway.
The photography is by Kurtis Chen
