The Pixel Poles are a forest of 52 custom, networked LED lighting fixtures that unite the North and South sections of the Helen Diller Civic Center Playgrounds in San Francisco. These fixtures feature custom LED boards that create swirling light patterns within long acrylic tubes, resembling luminous, trapped fog.

Arranged in clusters, the poles respond to pedestrians by sending pulses of color across both playgrounds. Originally installed in 2018, the Pixel Poles are set to receive a major upgrade in 2025, enhancing their responsiveness to passersby.

This project exists due to the support from the Helen Diller Family Foundation as well as the work from The Trust for Public Land, San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, Bothman Construction, and endrestudio.

The Team:

• Cory Barr: Artist, Software Engineering, Project Director

• Christian Cerrito: Artist, Interaction Design, Physical Computing

• Peter Scheidl: Mechanical Engineering

• George Zisiadis: Artist

• Andrea Cochran Landscape Architects: Design