Mirrors, lasers, and kaleidoscopic visions come to the Oval

A futuristic feast for the senses arrives May 30 at The Oval in Future Sensations, a free experience celebrating the 350th anniversary of Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest producers of innovative, high-performance building materials. The weeklong exhibit heralds the third season of The Oval, a hub of free outdoor programming for all ages on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Close your eyes and look

Consisting of walk-through pavilions themed "Look," "Listen," "Color," and "Create," Future Sensations will immerse visitors in sights and sounds related to Saint-Gobain innovation in, and contributions to, numerous industries. The "Listen" pavilion, for example, plunges visitors into an environment of perfect sound insulation for a unique acoustic experience, says Dina Pokedoff, senior manager of branding and communications for Saint-Gobain, who suggests that visitors “just close their eyes and take in the experience.”

Do the opposite in "Look," a pavilion of mirrors and LED lights reflecting Saint-Gobain’s involvement in glassmaking, its original business. “Depending where you stand and whether you look up, down, or to the side, you’ll see something different,” says Pokedoff, who toured the exhibit for the first time in São Paolo, Brazil.

Knowing about Future Sensations in advance, Pokedoff says, did not prepare her for the experience. Stepping into the "Color" pavilion, she says, felt like standing in a kaleidoscope of stained glass, while "Create’s" laser light show appeared different to every visitor, every time through. In Philadelphia, Future Sensations will have a fifth pavilion presenting the company and ways in which its products touch everyday life.

Philadelphia one of four worldwide stops

Visitors can view Future Sensations more than once, and The Oval’s food trucks and beer garden will be open for the duration of the exhibit, May 30 to June 6. With North American headquarters in Valley Forge, PA, Saint-Gobain selected Philadelphia as one of just four international stops. It has already traveled to Shanghai and São Paolo, and from here returns to Paris, the firm’s global headquarters.

Saint-Gobain was founded in 1665 by Louis XIV as the Royal Manufactory of Mirror Glass and later merged with a competitor in a small town northeast of Paris, from which it takes its name. With activities in innovative materials, construction products, building distribution, and packaging, Saint-Gobain products and materials can be found in aeronautics, life sciences, and in the construction of buildings that include the Louvre, the Statue of Liberty, and Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center. Saint-Gobain employs 190,000 people worldwide, including 15,000 in the United States and Canada.

With the Philadelphia Museum of Art as a backdrop, The Oval is a partnership of the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. Set on the eight acres traditionally called Eakins Oval, the space is now a focal point for summer celebration, hosting live music, interactive games, movie nights, and workshops. The Oval’s latest season opens July 15.

Future Sensations is coming to The Oval, 2451 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, from May 30 to June 6. The pavilions are free and open to the public.

Hours:
Saturday, May 30 and Saturday, June 6: 12-10pm
Sunday, May 31: 12-7pm
Monday, June 1: 12-6pm
Tuesday-Friday, June 2 to 5: 12-10pm