Bryony Roberts Creates Site-Specific Installation for the High Museum of Art in Atlanta

“We tackle difficult issues, but we use joy and play to bring people to the table,” is how architect Bryony Roberts recently described her practice, which focuses on immersive community-based work in the public realm. A current example of her approach is Outside the Lines, an outdoor installation at and commissioned by the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. The concept began with Roberts’s desire to create a participatory environment that’s accessible by all. Part of her early design process entailed conducting interviews with individuals who have physical, developmental, and/or intellectual disabilities, and those discussions informed the project’s appearance and layout. For instance, bright, contrasting colors are helpful in navigating spaces for people with impaired vision, and are often appealing to children, but, if too saturated, can be overstimulating for those with autism spectrum disorders. So, for the 2,600 strands of heavyweight polypropylene bolted to a 70-foot-long steel structure, Roberts chose a subtle range of light yellow, peach, and rose. The strips, which are fluid and overlap to create interesting lines, form enclosures, also suited to all: “a social zone toward the center,” Roberts explains, “and quieter spaces at the outer edges for individual relaxation.”