This project sought to investigate festival architecture by examining and reflecting on the significance of the annual Parade of Lights in Halifax, Nova Scotia, which this year drew nearly 75,000 people to the downtown core. As a group, we were interested in the potential for architecture to engage with the public mass. Our work explored the threshold between observer and participant.

The float was its own transportation. To achieve this, it needed to be both light and strong. The form we used was a lamella structure, with a large number of connections to ensure the lightest possible structure. The entire project required less than three pieces of 2"x8"x10' lumber, was made from two layers of 5-foot by 1/8-inch strips, and weighed less than 30kg.

Collaboration with Electrical Engineering students from Dalhousie lead to the development of a interactive lighting system that encouraged crowd participation. An electrical feedback system responded to vibrations in the frame, as well as camera flashes, allowing the float to flash back at parade spectators.