If you go out in the rain without an umbrella you are going to get wet. There’s no way to avoid it. But at the same time, watching heavy rainfall from a dry location can be very enjoyable and relaxing. The only way it could possibly be made more enjoyable is if you could actually walk through rainfall while remaining dry. And that’s exactly what the art installation Rain Room allows you to do.
Created by Random International, Rain Room has been a feature of The Curve Gallery at the Barbican in London since October last year. However, it is moving location and will instead be setup at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) in New York this coming summer. It’s also free.
So how does the Rain Room let you walk through rainfall without getting wet?
The 100 meter square space filled with rainfall is surrounded by motion sensors. As a person walks through the room the sensors turn off just enough of the rain at your location to stop you getting wet. As far as the person is concerned, they are still in the rain, but immune to the usual wet drops that accompany it. The result is sure to be quite a unique experience.