Imagine if Buildings Could Talk

Little Rock Central High School is a National Historic Site and is the only operating high school in the United States to receive such designation. In 1927, the newly constructed Central High was named “America’s Most Beautiful High School” by the American Institute of Architects. In 1957, the school made international news headlines as nine Black students were denied entry in defiance of federal desegregation law, in what became known as the Little Rock Central High Desegregation Crisis. Imagine if Buildings Could Talk is a nine-minute animation that was projection mapped on the school building’s main entrance to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the building’s construction and the 60th anniversary of the Central High desegregation crisis. The animation was designed around four themes: the building’s construction; the student perspective using 90 years of yearbook photos; the desegregation crisis featuring the famous photos by Will Counts; and a message for a bright future inspired by the school’s commitment to diversity.

In a projection mapping project, the architecture’s form and textures drive the animation design. In some cases, there is a blank wall with little variation in color and texture, so it is an open canvas for any imagery. For structures with surfaces at different depths, ornament, and varying textures, the animation design will follow the lead given by the structure and create more of an interaction with it.
Animation is the sum of all art forms. Through animation, the visual arts are given life by adding the dimension of time, and they may be intimately joined with sound, music, and performance. Practically any act of human creativity may be expressed in the form of an animation.