Tableau Software
Contours is our site-specific light installation sitting at the heart of Tableau Software’s Seattle HQ.
- Year
- 2021
- Location
- Seattle US
- Client
- Tableau Software
- Size
- 8 x 20 x 3m
INTRODUCTION
Exploring themes of nature and discovery in a nod to the data visualization techniques Tableau is famed for.
Contours is the multi-media installation that welcomes employees and visitors alike in the entrance lobby of Tableau Software’s Seattle HQ. It gets its name from the contoured lines that make up the composition, designed to represent the reversed topography of Washington’s most famous landmark: Mount Rainier. Embodying the calming and dramatic qualities of the local landscape, this piece brings a sense of the outside inside, whilst referring to mankind’s fascination with mountain ranges, and our desire to conquer their summits.
Carefully designed to be viewed from multiple perspectives around the building, the piece appears to take on a new form when viewed from different angles, bestowing the installation with a sense of intrigue and exploration at the core of Tableau Software’s data-driven products.
OUR INSPIRATION: MOUNT RAINIER
On site development
Original concept visual
Final piece
"Stunning, original, elegant, thoughtful, specific to us. Sensationally good"
Christian Chabot, Founder Tableau
Reflections in the water
THOUGHTFUL DESIGN
Look again
By placing the work on the ceiling, we enabled viewers to explore the piece from every angle. This ability to walk around the installation and continually see something different speaks to the heart of Tableau’s products: they give you the ability to unearth valuable insight by exploring data from every angle. Our decision to add a water element only strengthens this feeling further, providing a new perspective and yet another way to experience the piece.
Read more about
THE VIEW FROM BELOW
Wayfinding
The concept of discovery was continued in our approach to wayfinding. Our designs were inspired by stories of famous explorers, informing the theme of each floor: space, sky, water, and land. Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo over the Atlantic, for instance, was our inspiration for the third floor. Here, unique visual motifs were added to each room in the form of words written in a bespoke alphabet constructed using wind direction symbols.
used the wind direction on an alphabet clock
closer look
final number
process pages
activate
Amplifying the story
We extended the experience through bespoke content including a limited-edition book and film. Documenting our process from conception right through to installation, they allowed our client to share Contours with a global audience and give those outside the organisation a better idea of the scale and context of the piece.
