Somewhere between a moon-bounce and a space-age mosque, the Architects of Air have people lining up for a chance to take a glimpse inside their walk-in sculpture, called a Luminaria, that has taken over Auditorium Shores in downtown Austin. 

Described as both stimulating and serene the structure is made completely out of plastic and pvc pipes and represents the shared artwork of a team of designers, artists and technicians. The goal of the artists is to bring sound and light to places people wouldn’t expect, and to open people’s thinking about what a living or spiritual space should look like.

Visitors are asked to remove their shoes before squeezing through a womb-like airlock and into a psychedelic environment of neon lights and ambient sounds. The exhibit is broken into three colored sections, or chambers, that slope and turn in bizarre ways. Each chamber is unique in design and in the emotion they arouse in people.

The original exhibit is the brainchild of British designer Alan Parkinson who made the original work in the late '80s. Since then the Architects of Air have hosted over five hundred public exhibits of their work around the world, and have rolled out a freshly designed luminaria every year. Visitors to the Luminaria are guaranteed a unique if not trippy sensory experience.The Architects are leaving Austin this week for Sweden but will be back in the states, in Arizona, in mid March. Be prepared for a long wait in line as this exhibit is sure to attract massive crowds wherever it goes.  

For more information on the Architects of Air and future tour dates, check out www.architects-of-air.com