Clouds Above the River: Shang Cai's Award-Winning Landscape Installation

Shang Cai's River Cloud: A Fusion of Eastern Aesthetics and Innovative Design

The River Cloud installation is a large-scale outdoor art piece, standing 8 meters high, 30 meters wide, and 6 meters deep. It is located on a cliff's rooftop, overlooking a river. The design's uniqueness lies in its ability to express the image and connotation of a high-end real estate project named after "cloud." Shang Cai uses lines, colors, and shapes to create a cloud form that aligns with Oriental aesthetics. The interaction of clouds, water, and smoke in the environment creates a beautiful space.

Shang Cai's design is realized through the connection of more than 50,000 polygonal metal frames of different sizes to create a curved cloud shape. Through the holes in the clouds, viewers can see the opposite mountain view and the river view at the foot. The designer also arranges a thin pool and a smoke device in the environment of the cloud device, creating Oriental beauty and a sense of advance through the interaction of cloud, water, and smoke.

The installation is designed for long-term outdoor use. The designer used 50,000 frames of different sizes and hard materials to represent the curves of the clouds. Meanwhile, 15,000 CNC light sources are used to control the color and brightness, so that the device at night presents a dynamic effect of light and shadow flow. The installation is located on a hilltop by the river and has wide visibility, so it has become a famous landmark, which has helped greatly in the publicity and promotion of the project.

The project was not without its challenges. Clouds have varied colors and shape characteristics, and it is very challenging to represent cloud symbols in architectural form. As a long-term outdoor installation, the designer chose a large number of different sizes of stainless-steel frames to combine and used hard materials to express the curve characteristics of the clouds. At the same time, through the use of a number of point-like numerical control light sources, the device at night presents a dynamic effect of light and shadow flow and a crystal clear overall image.

The River Cloud installation has been recognized for its innovative design and has been awarded the Golden A' Landscape Planning and Garden Design Award in 2023. This award is granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. They are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.

In conclusion, Shang Cai's River Cloud installation is a testament to the designer's ability to blend Eastern aesthetics with innovative design techniques. The installation not only serves as a landmark but also as a symbol of the spiritual realm of randomness, freedom, harmony, and detachment that clouds represent in Eastern culture. The project's success is a testament to the designer's creativity, innovation, and dedication to expressing the cloud symbol.