ABOUT THE SPACE
PÎYÊSÎW WÂSKÂHIKAN (Thunderbird House) is a dedicated Indigenous space built for ceremony and gatherings within Edmonton's Stanley Milner Library.
The curved glass wall features an art installation by Joi T. Arcand. Carbon Graphics in Edmonton was proud to produce and install this vibrant piece using 3M Dichroic film. It showcases the name given to the space by Elders Jo-Ann and Jerry Saddleback.
The walls, ceiling, and floor are all made of white poplar, which is a significant tree to all Indigenous nations in the Edmonton area. Thunderbird House features a dedicated air circulation system that allows people to smudge without having to shut off the fire alarm system.
Naming the space
In Edmonton Public Library's interview with Elder Jo-Ann Saddleback, she says:
"...we named it PÎYÊSÎW WÂSKÂHIKAN... and it's Thunderbird House. Where that came from, we were thinking about colour. We were thinking about what allows us to reach out for things...".
"When he (Thunderbird) spreads his wings we are told, you can see the rainbow colours, he just shines rainbow colours when he spreads his feathers out like that... that wingspan."
The 3M Dichroic Glass Finish was the perfect choice to bring this vision to life and really represent the bold rainbow colours of Thunderbird. The dichroic film produces a colour shifting effect; the colours change based on the angle and amount of light as well as the angle of view.
The 3M Dichroic Chill pattern was installed on the interior side of the glass and the 3M Dichroic Blaze pattern on the exterior. The colour spectrum represented by the Blaze and Chill products are explained further below.
You can see the colour shifting effect in the videos and images below.
