Miniature Skyspace is the result of a term-long dive into how light shapes space and perception. Inspired by James Turrell’s Skyspaces, I built a wall-mounted shadowbox using forced perspective, layered textures, and remote-controlled LEDs to mimic a skylit room. Final touches included hiding the LED strip with a shelf, framing the glass to block light…

It’s (mostly) done! Above is my final “Miniature Skyspace” in all her glory. I was able to add a “shelf” to hide the color changing LED’s, put the wood pattern on the walls, and also added a frame around the front of the shadowbox (against the glass) to help conceal any backlight leaking through. Additionally,…

Made a decent amount of progress this week and things are really starting to come together. I built a cleaner, more polished version of my forced perspective model and got it mounted in the shadowbox. One of the big updates is the flooring. I used a carpet material to give it some texture, and made…

This week’s trial and error was figuring out how to get the forced perspective part of my model to actually fit inside the new shadow box I bought (10″x10″x3.3″). It wasn’t the hardest part of the project overall, I think dealing with the lighting and figuring out the LEDs is going to be a bit…

For my mock-up, I created a forced perspective model, similar to the one I’m aiming to have in my final shadowbox frame. I’ve landed on creating a mini version of James Turrell’s Skyspaces in a shadowbox frame that can be mounted on the wall. The mock-up includes a skylight, modeled with cloud-printed cardstock, and half-walls…

I’m interested in creating a wall-mounted light sculpture inspired by James Turrell’s Skyspaces. His work plays with perception and ambient light in architectural spaces — I love how his pieces make you stop and look. My idea is to build a mini version of that experience: a framed shadowbox with an inner “sky” that glows…

James Turrell is an American artist who works primarily with light. Born in 1943 in Los Angeles, he studied psychology and mathematics before turning to art. His work focuses on perception—inviting viewers to slow down and experience light as a physical, spatial element. Key Works Roden Crater (1979–present):A volcanic crater in Arizona that Turrell is…

I found a great example of light diffusion in this architectural image, where angled ceiling cuts allow natural light to spread softly across the surfaces. I’m especially drawn to how the light interacts with the matte material, creating a calm yet dramatic atmosphere without harsh glare. This made me more interested in how different materials…

Hi everybody! My name is Ben, and I’m a Senior Architectural Engineering major here at WPI. I’m more recently from Easton, MA, but I grew up in central Pennsylvania. That mix of environments gave me an appreciation for both natural landscapes and built ones, which definitely influences how I think about design. Art has always…