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The Sky Factory

The Sky Factory

Fairfield, IA

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Orange Telecom, Paris

Orange is one of the largest operators of mobile and internet services in Europe and Africa, and a global leader in corporate telecommunication services with 248 million customers across 29 countries.

The company’s new headquarters in Paris now features a custom Luminous SkyCeiling surrounded by a dynamic LED lighting display embedded in the floor that lights up, beaming the company’s trademark orange before turning blue, then violet, and green.

The virtual skylight features the latest twist in modular innovation—triangular SkyTiles—that allow for the ceiling grid to be placed at a 45 degree angle in relation to the skylight’s perimeter, creating an attractive lattice-like pattern that adds a dramatic counterpoint to the illusory sky’s four distinct quadrants.

Sky Factory’s biophilic illusions of nature are the only virtual skylights that have earned international awards for both installation design and peer-reviewed published research. Luminous SkyCeilings are designed to engage areas of the brain involved in spatial cognition, triggering a palpable “relaxation response” in the observer.

The illusion’s ability to alter perceived experience of interiors infuses enclosed spaces with a genuine feeling of expansion that yield multiple restorative benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, in addition to increased emotional balance, mental acuity, and cognitive function.

Orange Telecom is ranked in the Top 100 Global Brand Rankings with 15 billion devices connected in 2015. As a brand that thrives on technology and innovation, Orange’s headquarters feature a custom biophilic illusion installation that frames the reception area with an 18-foot portal to open skies, bringing quantifiable wellness benefits.

 
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Status: Built
Location: Paris, France
Firm Role: Designer and manufacturer
Additional Credits: Vincent Maréchal, Sky Factory France, Aaron Birlson, Sky Designer.