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Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to step inside a kaleidoscope? Well, wonder no more. Check out this giant kaleidoscope in Iowa!
If you had a kaleidoscope as a kid then you might find this gadget interesting. Danish-Icelandic artist Olafurr Eliasson has erected the giant kaleidoscope you see above in the John and Mary Paappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines, Iowa. Walking around the sculpture will give you a first hand view of what it’s like to be inside a kaleidoscope for yourself.
The giant kaleidoscope is being referred to as the “panoramic awareness pavilion” and consists of a large steel frame in a circular pattern that holds 23 panes of colored glass. Each of the glass panes has a reflective coating that transforms from opaque on the outside to transparent in the middle. One side of the structure remains open so that visitors can step inside and with the illuminated Fresnel lamp inside it, can view life inside a kaleidoscope!
Most people who have visited the structure claim that it’s best to be seen at twilight when the illuminated buildings around the structure create a fairytale like glow.
The giant kaleidoscope not only serves as a piece of art, but the structure also provides a method of navigating the park by referring to the colored panels of glass. Additionally, the structure serves as a great teaching moment for children who are leaning about light as well as the colors of the rainbow.
