Hong Kong’s Tamar Park in Admiralty has an upgrade—three spaceship-looking silver apparatus creating an interactive art installation Harbour Cup. Created by the artist collective LAAB for the Science in Art exhibition along the Central Harbourfront promenade, these pieces remind us of the table soccer, however, it is more than that.
This game doesn’t have teams or rules, it is rather a tool for people to leave their smartphones and focus on engaging with one another by deciding how they want to play the game. Its futuristic design with bold and prominent lines surrounding each table fits the environment with Hong Kong’s skyscrapers surrounding Tamar Park.
LAAB is a collective of architects, designers, and creators, co-led by Otto Ng and Chun Hang Yip. It focuses on creating unique designs and bringing visionary designs to life. “Our “Ah-ha!” moments occur at the intersections of disciplines — when architects think sociologically, when sociologists question urban design, and when engineers challenge designers,” the LAAB collective describes themselves.
All three pieces of the installation are designed with different dimensions, for people of various heights and complexions, making this game accessible for people of all ages and abilities.
In the dark, the body of each piece of the installation becomes shinier and reflects the multicoloured lighting of the highrise buildings surrounding Hong Kong’s dazzling harbour.
As riveting and captivating as the artwork looks on the inside, you will find solar-powered LED lights illuminating the darkness by following the balls’ trajectory during the game. In other words, any time the ball starts moving, it activates the capacitive sensors inside the watertight 3D-printed consoles.
