Fairy Forts

Fairy Forts is a group of interactive structures created for the 2019 Artpark Fairy House Festival in Lewiston, New York. Imagined as dwellings for “chromatic fairies,” the forts bring color and movement to the festival’s landscape at a scale visitors can encounter directly.

Each fort begins with a framework of triangular forms inspired by crystals and other faceted geometries. Spandex fabric stretches across the PVC members, pulling the flat triangles into curved surfaces. The number and arrangement of triangles differ among the forts, giving each structure its own form and place within the project’s color spectrum.

The frames are designed to wiggle and wobble when touched. Their movement invites visitors to discover how a simple assembly of rigid members and elastic fabric can produce forms that feel lively and responsive. Fairy Forts uses the festival’s imaginary setting to make an architectural idea tangible: form emerges through the interaction of geometry, material tension, and the body.

Project information

• Location: Artpark, Lewiston, New York

• Event: Artpark Fairy House Festival

• Year: 2019

• Project type: Interactive installation

• Materials: PVC pipe and spandex fabric

• Dimensions: Approximately 5 × 5 × 5 ft to 8 × 8 × 8 ft