On Cloud Brand Experience

Opus Art with Lorna Rees

Cloudscape Brand Experience

The Mailbox, Birmingham

The Brief

Taylex Group collaborated with Opus Art and artist Lorna Rees, creator of Cloudscapes, to produce and install On Cloud 9, a bespoke cloud‑gazing installation at Mailbox Birmingham Canalside. Commissioned by Mailbox Birmingham and developed by Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces, the project aimed to translate Lorna’s immersive Cloudscapes experience into a public context—bringing tranquillity, wonder, and creative placemaking to an everyday urban setting.

It was designed to offer visitors a ten‑minute audiovisual retreat—listening via QR‑linked audio while gazing at the ever‑changing sky above, encouraging mindfulness, reflection, and connection to nature.

The Outcome

Creative Execution: Working with Opus Art’s creative direction, Taylex Group translated the conceptual design into a striking blue pavilion structure shaped like a cloud‑gazing arena. It featured bold cloud motifs, clear sightlines, and inviting seating.

Visitor Experience: Guests were invited to sit and scan a QR code to listen to Lorna Rees’s calming narration about clouds, tropospheric stories, and cloud classification—presented in ten-minute increments.

Supporting Programming: Opus coordinated a summer Friday Sessions live music series (July–August) featuring local artists, enhancing the atmosphere and community draw.

Seamless Collaboration: Successful partnership between artist (Lorna Rees/Gobbledegook), producer (Outdoor Places Unusual Spaces), and fabricators (Taylex Group + Opus Art) to translate artistic vision into public form.

Emphasis on Calm & Connection: Delivered an immersive pause point in a busy urban precinct—a playable act of placemaking grounded in mindfulness and environmental awareness.

Multisensory Impact: Combined visuals, listening, and gathering to create layered meaning and emotional engagement—encouraging guests to reconnect with sky, space, and community.

Outcome

On Cloud 9 at Mailbox was more than a visual installation—it was a moment suspended in time. Blending creative vision, precise build, and ambient programming, the project transformed Canalside into a poetic pause, enriching public space with beauty, calm, and curiosity.

Enhanced Public Wellbeing: The installation provided a momentary pause in daily urban life, encouraging cloud gazing, mindfulness, and mental respite—boosting creativity and relaxation as reported across feedback channels.

Creative Placemaking Impact: Positioned Mailbox as a cultural destination, differentiating the space through unique visual appeal and experiential value. The installation promoted longer dwell times, repeat visits, and organic social sharing.

Engaging Visual Identity: The bold cloud‑shaped structure acted as a selfie spot and focal landmark, drawing visitors visually and emotionally into the experience.

Integrated Storytelling & Artistry: By blending Cloudscapes audio storytelling with architectural form, the project offered an educational, poetic, and meditative encounter in alignment with Gobbledegook Theatre’s ethos. Cloudscapeshas independently toured and featured widely in contemplative arts programming, reinforcing the credibility and resonance of the concept.