Kinetic pendants mimic the smooth motion of canoes gliding on water.

All Points Canada is a kinetic ceiling sculpture that orients itself toward the infrastructure in Canada and around the world that has enabled Google to become the first major corporation to neutralize its lifetime carbon emissions. Concepted by design studio SOSO, the sculpture is composed of rotating pendants that reference the construction and materiality of birchbark canoes. The pendants activate an Event Space through their rotation, telling the story of the data centers and subsea cables Google has invested in to improve connectivity and support users while fighting climate change. SOSO reached out to Patten Studio to prototype and develop the All Points Canada concept, and ultimately to produce and integrate the artwork into Google’s Toronto offices at 65 King East.

Each canoe is rotated by a single brushless DC motor controlled by a Patten Studio Exponent Motor Controller networked with RS485. Firmware to command the fluid, elegant rotation of the canoes is written in C. Each motor controller board is encased in a 3D printed enclosure for plug & play installation and serviceability, to streamline the installation process and allow for the easier maintenance of the artwork by Google. An Exponent Controller sends motion data from the control server to the rotating pendants, and shuts down all motion if the emergency stop button is pressed. Upon installation, all custom electronic components used in All Points Canada were assessed for UL compliance, in accordance with Google standards.

All Points Canada’s pendants are handmade art objects. Each pendant is made of a thin sheet of custom white oak laminate treated with mineral oil to accentuate the depth and vibrancy of the wood grain. This laminate is bent into a canoe shape and fit with a hidden 3D printed spine with an attachment detail for the rod. Canoes are weight balanced to allow for smooth, level rotation. Foreseeing the need to clean and maintain the artwork, the client also asked that the pendants be removable without a technician needing to open the ceiling. Patten Studio designed a 3D printed detachable twist & lock coupler to comply with this request. In order to meet building regulations for ceiling artwork, the final coupler design is capable of bearing a 180lb+ load.

Patten Studio worked closely with the general contractor Govan Brown and architect iN STUDIO to coordinate the artwork’s integration into the Event Space ceiling. All Points Canada’s electronics are installed directly into a fire rated plywood support structure composed of 35 mounting panels. Alignment arms allow these mounting panels to lock into their corresponding ceiling tiles, matching the ceiling layout, without placing any weight on the delicate aluminum ceiling system. The weight of the panels is supported by a unistrut matrix that allows for adjustments to be made along the X, Y, and Z axes, ensuring that the artwork can be spaced and leveled regardless of variations in the ceiling slab, and that pendants can be suspended through the pre-drilled ceiling tiles.

Surmounting the artwork’s unique design challenges and global supply chain shortages of wood veneer and material components, Patten produced All Points Canada to bring SOSO’s vision for Google’s Event Space to life. Patten partnered with AMDI to install All Points Canada in Google’s Toronto offices in Spring of 2024.