Journey of Circumference, 2025 – Thilo Frank x Phillip C. Reiner

Journey of Circumference consists of eleven interconnected elements, which range from 0.8 to 4.4 metres in diameter, at the Woodhub in Odense. Woodhub is Denmark's largest timber office building, which is designed by the C.F. Møller Architects and comprises a total floor area of 31,000 square metres. We were commissioned to produce the work for the Woodhub after Thilo Frank and Phillip C. Reiner won first prize in the international art-in-architecture competition of the Danish Building Authority in 2024. The elements are painted stainless steel and thermo-wood. The latter material ties the piece to the surrounding timber building. Their layout draws on celestial mechanics and planetary orbits, and distances and angles between elements follow precise geometric relationships rather than a single fixed viewpoint. You read the work by walking it. At dusk and dawn an integrated lighting system slowly brightens or dims, respectively, mirroring the passage of daylight. The installation was assembled on site in March 2025, was opened on 15 June 2025, and has been publicly accessible since July. The piece is permanent and accessible during the building's hours. Studio Thilo Frank carried out the implementation and protoCtrl was responsible for the planning.

Research:
The eleven positions derive from a model that was built on the basis of orbital geometry: the relative distances and angles follow the proportional logic of a simplified planetary system, while the diameters of the elements were assigned so as to provide a clear size gradient along the sequence. The layout was tested against visitor circulation, sight lines and the shadows cast at different times of day.