When Westfield commissioned Australian artist Jade Oakley to produce ambient art pieces for their central escalator cladding and a multi storey lift well at Westfield Parramatta she was instantly inspired by the indigenous plants of the area.

“I was amazed to find Lake Parramatta, tucked in behind a busy road, with some really beautiful original forest around it, including towering gum trees and mossy glades with trickling streams and tree ferns. I spent a day there sketching and photographing and thinking. Looking up is an artwork that sprang from this encounter with a surprising pocket of nature in a busy part of Sydney.”

‘Looking up’ is installed over the body of four escalators located in the centre court of Westfield Parramatta. Created using a white on white palette, this artwork is intricate and elegant all at once. Viewers can study the artwork while walking through the centre court and riding the escalators to the levels above. 

The cladding is made from Alucobond treated in a custom shimmering white 2pak. The background features an etched relief of the forest canopy, and the panels are embellished with a second layer of perforated leaf screens that wrap around the sides of the escalators.

See more photos of the project, including production and process shots by visiting the project page on ourart website.