Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis has unveiled a spectacular trio of mirrored and resin installations at Apple Park in California, all specifically inspired by the latest iPhone models. The innovative installations were created to mark the launch of Apple's newest smartphones and provide visitors with unique ways to experience the cutting-edge technology.
Marcelis was personally invited by Apple to design a series of installations in and around the Observatory building at the tech giant's headquarters. The designer focused on translating key elements from Apple's software and hardware, particularly the Liquid Glass feature, into her signature artistic style. "Apple invited me to create different installations within the observatory for the launch that would allow people to experience the new products in different ways," Marcelis explained during an interview at Apple Park. "So I really zoomed in on different elements of the Apple software, the Liquid Glass, which is a sort of natural marriage between what I already do with this lensing effect and the layering of color."
The centerpiece of Marcelis's work is an impressive 330-centimeter-high obelisk made from powder-coated steel, strategically positioned between the Observatory and the main Apple Park building designed by Foster + Partners. This striking structure serves as both an art piece and a functional photography subject that visitors can capture from the Observatory's terrace. "It's kind of a continuation of the different sundials that I've done in the past – the idea was to create a very static object, very singular, but very much responding to its surroundings," Marcelis noted. "I really love that it's in the high grass and when the sun is on it, the color sort of wraps around the object. So on one side, it's more orange. On the other side, it's more blue. So, depending on what time of day and how the sun hits it, it also casts a really bright reflection."
Inside the Observatory building, which functioned as a hands-on testing area for the newly unveiled products, Marcelis created an elaborate installation featuring large standing slabs that directly reference both the shapes and colors of the new iPhones. The designer also crafted a pair of distinctive acrylic-topped tables, which she described as "a materialization of the Liquid Glass," along with specially designed mirrors for a semi-enclosed living-room-style space. These interior pieces were arranged to create three distinct zones where visitors could interact with the new products in different ways.
"The brief was really to create three different zones where people could experience the new products in different ways," Marcelis explained. "So the mirrors are for photographing your reflection and trying on different accessories. The lounge or the lifestyle area is more of a space where you could have them flat on the glass installation, which is a bit like a deconstructed inside of a phone." Each installation was carefully designed to encourage visitors to test various functions of the latest iPhones while providing Instagram-worthy backdrops.
A unique aspect of this project was Marcelis's focus on the signature colors of the new iPhone models: Cosmic Orange for the iPhone 17 Pro, Lavender for the iPhone 17, and Mist Blue for the iPhone Air. However, due to Apple's legendary secrecy surrounding product launches, the designer only received glimpses of these colors during development. "I didn't see everything," she revealed. "I saw elements, which I think is actually kind of a nice way to work – I feel like the new elements are what make these phones extremely special, and to just be able to focus on the essence of that is very in line with how I work."
Translating these specific colors into her glass and resin installations proved to be a complex challenge. "This is really no different to other projects I do," Marcelis said. "When we want to go for a specific color, we have a reference, then we start creating samples and then fine-tuning." The process was particularly intricate with the glass components, as she discovered that "the Lavender and the Mist Blue are so light when you blow it up or put it in between glass, it becomes invisible – just kind of white. So we needed to intensify that color and then to see, exactly, when would it be too much."
What made this project truly unique was that Marcelis designed the installations primarily to be viewed through iPhone cameras rather than just with the naked eye. "At the end of the day, these spaces are about creating content, so it was also about being able to get as much different points of view," she explained. This consideration led to an interesting discovery about how materials appear differently when photographed. "What's interesting with the resin is, when you and I look at it, it would be clear, but then when you take a picture of it, there is this purple undertone that really comes out."
To ensure the installations would photograph accurately, Marcelis and her team conducted extensive testing using actual iPhones throughout the development process. "We were creating an installation that would hopefully make you want to take out your iPhone and capture the space, and as these images of a project so focused on color would then be shared around the world, we wanted to make sure these colors were super accurate," she stated. "We used iPhones to check the final color on the materials we were creating for the installation. For example, we took photos with flash to see how the resin would photograph as the human eye sees resin more white, but a photo captures its purple undertone, which is the true observation and color spectrum."
Following the successful iPhone launch event, the impressive obelisk installation is set to find a permanent home at an Apple location, ensuring that Marcelis's artistic vision will continue to inspire visitors long after the product launch. The project represents a fascinating intersection of art, technology, and marketing, demonstrating how contemporary artists are adapting their work for the digital age where most experiences are shared through smartphone cameras and social media platforms.
