Luxury flexible workspace, Uncommon has collaborated with leading light artist, Marcus Lyall, to provide Uncommon’s newest space on Liverpool Street with a spectacular, bespoke light and sound installation.
It monitors heart rates and stress levels through the touch of a finger and is designed to promote wellness by making people aware of the signals inside their body and how stress can affect their everyday life.
Uncommon Liverpool Street will be fully open to members from the 20th of May and the spectacular installation will be available to Uncommon members and the general public from Monday – Friday 9 am-6 pm.
‘In a Heartbeat’ is an interactive art installation, which represents your heart activity through light and sound.
The installation works out your heart rate and variability when you place your finger into a Blood Volume Flow sensor. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is considered to be a good indicator of stress levels and heart health.
High levels of stress cause your heart to beat faster and in a more metronomic pattern. People who are relaxed have a lower heart rate and a less regular rhythm.
The aim is to make people aware of their internal signals by showing people their heart activity in an engaging way,
Made up of 7,200 red, green and blue LED’s in a 3.6m diameter spiral form, the display will be placed in the lobby of Uncommon’s Liverpool Street, open to the public to experience.
The soundtrack that accompanies the installation is designed to soothe, with the generative music composition created in collaboration with leading ambient composer, Richard Norris. The heart rate software was designed in consultation with neuroscientist Professor James Kilner.
Speaking of his collaboration with Uncommon, Marcus says: “Uncommon has an emphasis on wellness and balance in the workspace.
I’m exploring how amplifying our internal body signals can help us to understand our inner states. This project is a great opportunity to create a public artwork which engages Uncommon’s tenants and the wider City community.’
Uncommon offers luxury flexible workspaces and offices in central locations with an emphasis on design-led spaces and a focus on health & wellbeing.
Their aim is to promote a healthier way of working in an environment that evokes creativity, as well as productivity.
The spaces draw inspiration from a blend of Scandinavian and Italian design with a combination of rich textures and tonal colours to stimulate focus and maintain levels of calmness.