The glass ceiling

PHOTOS: David Ross | PRODUCTION: Klara van Wyngaarden | WORDS: Milisuthando Bongela

Sculptor Willem Boshoff and his daughter Karen created Hyde Park’s Word Clouds, joining the world of artists, designers and architects embracing glass like never before.

His work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian in Washington DC and at countless other galleries around the world – in São Paolo, New York, Madrid, Copenhagen, Venice and Rotterdam.

Now sculptor Willem Boshoff ’s art is a permanent fixture at the new-look Hyde Park Shopping Centre in Johannesburg.

While exhibiting original art is nothing novel for Hyde Park, this work requires you to look up: it’s an integral part of the recently renovated skylights. Willem and his graphic designer daughter, Karen, have created “lexicon clouds” – clouds made up of words that humorously describe manias and phobias – on the glass panels.

“Why Boshoff you may ask?”

His work is usually political, religious and – for some – offensive. These creations, however, are slightly ironic and definitely come from a place of comical self-mockery. The wit is in the meanings of the words, which all ironically reference phobias that may apply to the shoppers below. There’s chrematomania, the obsessive desire for money; carphology, a frantic desire for freedom; and cacophobia, the fear of ugliness – to name but a few.

Skylights will save energy

The new glass skylights are not just for decoration, however – they will also assist in the mall’s energy-saving efforts.

The double-glazed glass, which comes from the Smartglass GraphixArt range, increasingly popular in South Africa, comprises two skins of 8mm and 6mm glass separated by a gap that includes microscopic insulating layers. This will help keep the centre cool in summer and warm in winter. Frits fitted into the glass will also control the light coming into the building.

“A frit,” explains Steven Riley, Development Executive at Hyprop Investments Limited, is “a symmetrical pattern of dots intended to regulate the amount of sunlight that penetrates the glass. The more dots you have, the less light comes in, and vice versa.”

Willem and Karen were essentially commissioned to create a frit pattern – although one with a difference.

Overwhelming response

So have customers noticed this lighthearted new look?

“There has been an overwhelming response,” says Steven. So much so that Hyde Park will be printing a small dictionary of the words that appear in the artworks, which customers will be able to collect from the new concierge desk that has been added as part of the centre’s makeover.

All refurbishments at the mall are due to be completed in February 2011, and these skylights are just the first in a series of art exhibitions planned.

• Willem Boshoff: www.willemboshoff.com

• Hyde Park: www.hydeparkshopping.co.za

• SmartGlass: 0860 695 695, www.smartglass.co.za