Cloud Swing
Cloud Swing is a monumental sculpture and artwork that uplifts accessibility for all, encouraging shared mindfulness and play.
The Challenge
The disability community is often subjected to humiliating and infantilizing treatment, most often in spaces of public accommodation and travel. Cloud Swing is a manifesto on how public spaces can and should celebrate inclusion. It centers self-driven accessibility as a source of creative expression instead of the erroneous way it is typically viewed: an obstruction to “good design” and an afterthought. The project is not only about the individual representation of people with disabilities but also about community gathering and visibility at the intersection of various identities.
Project Vision
We developed Cloud Swing with support from the Wellcome Trust Mindscapes program and INCLUDEnyc, the most prominent NYC non-profit dedicated to equity and access for young people with disabilities. Trina Hazell, an activist and Ms. Wheelchair New York 2018 began this journey with the studio during the design development phase of the project, offering helpful advice about safety and comfort. She was also the first person to test the accessible swing and to ride the swing when it was installed at Grounds for Sculpture! The sculpture was engineered and fabricated by Serett Metalworks and installed by Oliver Construction.
Aerial view of the swing, nestled among the trees
Isometric Studio
Trina Hazell, Disability Activist and Ms. Wheelchair New York 2018, enjoys Cloud Swing
Isometric Studio
Design + Execution
Nestled among trees at Grounds for Sculpture, the installation is a site of community gathering, rest, and imagination. The structure is painted electric blue, and the swings face each other, creating a vibrant and inclusive space for communal encounters. Two wheelchair-accessible swings and three plank swings are suspended from a cloud-shaped canopy, formed from 100+ ft of curved steel pipe and lifted on tripod legs.
An early workshop with disability activists to receive feedback on the swing design
Isometric Studio
A 3D-printed model of Cloud Swing, used to assess design and safety
Isometric Studio
The swing in action, building equity and community across ages and abilities
Isometric Studio
The 3D-printed model and the final built swing
Isometric Studio
Rigorous safety engineering and testing in Serett Metalworks’ shop
Isometric Studio
Project Details
The design's user-centric approach, fostering a unique celebration of inclusion, is truly commendable. Additionally, the installation's ability to infuse vibrancy into its
Design should be for all is a phrase often repeated but not frequently seen. This is an exemplary example of design serving all constituencies. Part installation, part public art, and part place maker, the solution while simple is executed very well.
Design Team
Waqas Jawaid (partner)
Andy Chen (partner)
Abhishek Thakkar (architectural designer)
Paolo Fabbri (graphic designer)
Kate McBride (content director)
Maria Loes (graphic designer)
Isometric Studio (architecture)
Collaborators
Wellcome Trust (primary sponsor)
Mindscapes program (primary sponsor)
Grounds for Sculpture (presenting sponsor and host, landscape architecture)
Serett Metalworks (physical fabrication)
Oliver Construction (physical fabrication)
Danielle Olsen (wellcome team)
Rebecca Jacobs (wellcome team)
Lauraberth Lima (wellcome team)
Gary Garrido Schnieder (grounds for sculpture team)
Faith McClellan (grounds for sculpture team)
Sam Hwang (grounds for sculpture team)
includeNYC (adviser)
Trina Hazell (adviser)
Photo Credits
Isometric Studio
Open Date
August 2023