Created by LAAB Architects for the Science in Art exhibition along the Central Harbourfront promenade in Hong Kong, Harbour Cup is an interactive artwork that integrates sports, science, and art in one.
Harbour Cup is similar to the table soccer game we all know, with some exceptions—there is no goal on either side and there is no definition of teams. The players need to negotiate and decide how they want to play the game, be it competition, or collaboration. By making the familiar unfamiliar, LAAB Architects creates a situation that invites people to reflect, to communicate, to negotiate.
An array of solar-powered LED lights is installed inside the artwork. When the ball is kicked, the movement triggers the capacitive sensors inside the watertight 3D-printed consoles, lighting up the trajectory of the ball at night. With its shiny metallic body, Harbour Cup also reflects the chromatic lighting from the high-rise architecture surrounding the magnificent harbour of Hong Kong.
The artwork comes in a set of three pieces with different heights and dimensions welcoming people of various body sizes. Through Harbour Cup, LAAB encourages people of different ages to put down their phones and interact with each other through play.
