London Design Festival 2014: Designer imagines weightlessness of space travel

London –  Lucy McRae, who describes herself as a body architect, has developed a project for the London Design Festival that prepares the human body for space travel.

Working collaboratively with a furniture designer, material scientist and space biologist from NASA to ‘create an experience to isolate the senses’, McRae has conceived a timber vacuum chamber structure covered with a metallic Mylar film and lined with silk. The structure is designed to simulate the experience of zero gravity, and to help prepare the human body and brain for entering outer space. ‘It’s merging beauty, athletics and soft architecture,’ McRae told LS:N Global, speaking about the structure. 

McRae has directed a short film on the project, as well as exhibiting the structure for Designjunction with synchronised swimmers demonstrating its weightless effects. She will also offer present installations that will enable visitors to experience the project for themselves. 

For more on Lucy McRae, watch the above LS:N Global film, first shown at our London Design Festival Network Evening, that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the project, and look out for our Portfolio feature on the designer next week.

Designjunction runs from 18 to 21 September 2014. Look out for LS:N Global’s continuing coverage of the London Design Festival 2014 in our Seed and Shows sections.