Emmanuelle Moureaux, a renowned Tokyo-based French architect, artist, and designer, known for her distinctive approach to using colors as a structural component, has collaborated with Google to redesign the entrance to their Mountain View headquarters. This project, titled 100 colors no.52 “MIRAGE”, epitomizes the harmonious union of art and technology. The installation spans the campus, reflecting Moureaux’s passion for vibrant compositions, while ingeniously encapsulating the symbolic language of computing through a metallic array evoking binary codes.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Architect: Emmanuelle Moureaux
Location: Mountain View, California
Collaboration: Google Headquarters
Project Title: 100 colors no.52 ‘MIRAGE’
Design Studio: emmanuelle moureaux architecture + design
Moureaux’s installation transforms the mundane experience of a morning commute into a kaleidoscope of shades, vividly manifesting how colors shape human emotions and psychological states. Its vivid palette, composed of a hundred hues, adds a refreshing burst of energy to the everyday environs, often dominated by monochrome tones. This thoughtful incorporation not only enlivens the designed space but also highlights the underlying intention to evoke varied emotional responses—ranging from tranquility and harmony to vitality and dynamism.
Central to the installation is its meticulous rendering of zeroes and ones, laboriously constructed over five years. These binary figures materialize as delicate ovals, which interchange between being perceived as zeroes or ones depending on the viewer’s perspective. The installation conceals and reveals this digital language, suggesting both the transient nature of technology and the infinite potential of human creativity, underscored by the concept of Googolplex—a nod to endless expanses and infinite possibilities.
The work exemplifies Moureaux’s innovative design philosophy, “shikiri,” meaning “dividing (creating) space with colors.” Drawing inspiration from the colorful urban landscape of Tokyo, she masterfully introduced this technique in various high-profile collaborations, including with ISSEY MIYAKE and UNIQLO. In this setting, “MIRAGE” symbolizes an aspirational vision intended to inspire viewers to perceive a dreamlike reality, fostering an awareness of color as a transformative languagethat potentially materializes dreamscapes in the physical world.
From an experiential standpoint, the installation engages its audience through constant change in how colors interact—or are perceived—amid the shifting daylight and movement of people. This fluid interaction invites individuals to not only observe but also partake in the creation of personal narratives bolstered by an ever-changing mosaic of color. Each entry point to the campus is strategically designed, with angles calculated to gradually unveil and then conceal the sequence of zeroes, subtly reinforcing the exhibit’s thematic essence of endlessness and the elusive nature of perception.
Emmanuelle Moureaux’s collaboration with Google is a testament to her unique ability to convey the emotional and functional aspects of color in architectural spaces. By bridging the worlds of art, architecture, and technology, “MIRAGE” stands as a vibrant tribute to creativity’s limitless frontier. More of Moureaux’s inventive work can be explored on her website, where the ongoing exploration of her “100 Colors” series continues to delight and inspire art and design enthusiasts worldwide.
