The rain room installation floats above the parking lot

The starting point for making Rain Room a separate entity began when Random International’s work was directed at the Flinders Lane Hotel.

However, with the advent of COVID-19 and the delay in the construction of the Town Hall, it was decided to continue to allow the exhibition of works of art in the public domain.

While the raised cube looks fairly basic from the street, it has been finely ‘stitched’ with white powder coated outer pipes that create a layer over the insulated paneled walls.

“It was not difficult to determine the logistics, for example the location of the pump or sump, or the location of the IT / technical equipment.

But even with video conferencing, it wasn’t what you’d say was a fairly easy-to-read brief right off the bat, ”says Eggleston.

Access to the rain room is also not very clear, with signs indicating to enter the parking lot and take an elevator or go up a ramp.

However, when you arrive there is a well-placed ticket booth and signage on the building itself, by Studio Ongarato, the latter resembling letters slightly eroded by rain.

As with all innovative architecture and art, there is a sense of foreboding, but also of excitement, when walking the long passage that leads to the main event.

And what an event it is to feel the effect of walking through a rainstorm and most importantly not getting wet (although a few drops can be felt if the pace is too fast).

Illuminated by a spotlight perched high on a wall, it is both the sound of the falling rain, as well as the sight of it, that creates a memorable sensation.

“We show groups 12 to 15 minutes apart to allow for the experience,” says Ogilvie, who also suggests walking along the space for those who are worried about even having a raindrop on them.

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Recycled through a steel mesh floor, the water rains continuously five days a week.

As with many museum / gallery experiences, there is a gift shop at the end of the trip.

For the rain room, March Studio has designed a nifty aluminum-lined offering, with adjustable aluminum shelves and an organically shaped countertop inspired by the space age.

As for Melbourne’s penchant for all-black, there are black sweatshirts, black transport bags and even black umbrellas with fairly self-explanatory logos.

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But it’s the experience of walking through what seems like the unknown that triggers the adrenaline rush.

“You could say the rain room is an appropriate room at times like these.

Loneliness is an essential part of health and well-being, and for us, Rain Room has the capacity to be an exercise in conscious mediation, ”says Hannes Koch of Random International.

For this writer, it was an experience that lasted long after the sound of the rain had been left behind.