[01] Case Study

International Towers · Barangaroo · LED Totem Artwork

Barangaroo Tidal Flora

A calm underwater world for a busy lobby. A 10‑minute tidal loop of native plants and harbour currents across dual LED totems.

Urban media & placemaking Underwater tidal system Native Australian flora Lobby LED totems

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Barangaroo Tidal Flora - LED totem artwork at International Towers

[02] Quick Facts

Role

Principle artist · Creative technologist

Client

Arts-Matter in collaboration with International Towers

Format

10-minute looping artwork for dual-sided lobby LED totems

Location

International Towers 2 & 3, Barangaroo · Sydney

Goal

Bring a calm, bright underwater tide into a high‑traffic corporate lobby

[03] The Brief & Site

Brief: bring harbour life into the lobby—legible in seconds, rewarding in longer views. The totems sit just metres from Sydney Harbour's edge.

Constraint

Building info covers the lower half during business hours. Composition prioritises the top section for daytime clarity while maintaining coherence as one continuous piece.

LED totem displays in the International Towers lobby showing the tidal flora artwork

[04] Tidal Story Structure

Four flora phases

Four native plants embody the harbour's tide cycle: rising, high, falling, and low. Visitors feel a complete arc even in brief glimpses.

Phase 1 · Wattle Waves

Golden fronds sway with the incoming tide. Gentle, directional motion.

Phase 2 · Flannel Flower Drift

Flannel flowers drift at high tide. Slow, quiet, meditative pause.

Phase 3 · Banksia Currents

Banksia coral forms reveal harbour floor. Currents accelerate as tide ebbs.

Phase 4 · Waratah Depths

Deep waratah shifts to rich blues and reds. Low tide—then the cycle restarts.

Arc: gentle awakening → calm → reveal → depth. Variety without chaos.

[05] Making the Tide Legible

Built as a tidal system, not separate clips. Water flow, plant motion, and colour follow real harbour physics, compressed to lobby scale.

Technical design drawings and specifications for the LED totem directory

Tidal motion

Velocity fields mimic real currents. Particle wakes, layered flows, eddies—all physically grounded.

Screen-aware layout

Top half reads by day (with building info overlay). At night, lower details reward longer views.

Implementation: procedural animation, particle systems, and colour ramps responding to a shared tide clock. Result: one seamless 10‑minute loop that lives across the totems.

[06] What Tenants See

A calm, slowly shifting underwater scene. Plants sway, currents flow—the towers feel closer to the harbour they sit on.

Barangaroo Tidal Flora artwork displayed on LED totem in the International Towers lobby

15 seconds

Enough to feel: this lobby is tied to the water outside.

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