Set in the courtyard of Palazzo Isimbardi in Milan, Italy, Open Sky is a mirror installation created by artist Phillip K. Smith III for fashion brand COS.
Made from mirror-polished stainless steel, aluminum, plywood and concrete composite panels, the structure measures 45′-0″ diameter x 11′-6″, 13.72m x 3.5m.
“I was given the brief of ‘we like your work, here’s the site, we’ll talk to you in a month’,” Smith told Dezeen in an interview. “It was a carte blanche and an opportunity to think totally freely.”
“The piece is inspired very much by that site. It’s a circular, faceted, conical installation that merges the Milanese sky with renascence architecture,” said Smith.
“The square of sky above the courtyard transforms into a semi-circular form, that sits on the courtyard floor directly in front of the viewer. The idea was to actively and seamlessly merge the beauty of the surrounding architecture and the sky over Milan, creating an ever-changing experience,” added Smith.
“His approach feels much aligned with our own ethos of creating subtle, considered design at COS,” said Karin Gustafsson, creative director of COS.
