land art park conceived to generate wind energy in denmark

land art park conceived to generate wind energy in denmark
all images courtesy of julio alejandro romero alonso and miguel angel lopez carro

emerging from water, julio alejandro romero alonso and miguel angel lopez carro‘s ‘windwaker’ appears among the industrial landscape of copenhagen’s seaport.  as a new reference point for tourism, citizens, and renewable energies, its masts like a pillar structure and its high sails exposed to wind create a new dynamic horizon for edvard eriksen’s iconic masterpiece. through an undulating area bathed in scattered light, open but at the same time protected from the rain under the swaying sheets when necessary, people will be able to explore a uniquely sculptural way of harvesting energy from the wind.

people of all ages can enjoy the new public space

the relationship between the artist’s ‘the little mermaid’ and the proposed infrastructure is an important driver of the design. the resulting composition would resemble a fleet of boats sailing together, driven by gusts of air flowing towards the sculpture. this effect is achieved through an understanding of the city’s wind roses, where the main currents match the longitudinal axis of the site. as a result, tall slender poles are placed into a dialogue with the surrounding industrial buildings and chimneys. 

view from the sea

nanogenerators (NG) developed by zhong lin wang and his research team from georgia institute of technology provide the necessary energy output to ensure the project’s viability. due to their nanometric thickness, flexibility, translucent appearance, and size, they fit perfectly with the requirements. NGs consist of a free cantilever composed of a five-layer structure: a flexible polymer substrate, ZnO nanowire textured films, and electrodes on each top and bottom surface. when it is manipulated to 0.12% at a strain rate of 3.56% S-1, the output voltage reaches 10 V, and the output current exceeds 0.6 A (corresponding power density 10 mW/cm3). the technology relies on the piezoelectric potential generated in the nanowire as it is being dynamically pressured under an extremely small force; a transient flow of electrons in an external load driven by the piezopotential to balance the fermi levels at the two contacts is the fundamental mechanism of NGs.

looking down the boardwalk from the boats

resembling copenhagen’s ‘park tivoli’, the work includes integrated energy equipment within a green park where a range of cultural and social events may take place. ‘windwaker’ aims to become provide a different kind of public experience, attractive due to its constantly changing volumes, shaped by the wind. ‘this versatile open space is equipped with renewable high tech, that will situate copenhagen ahead in green energy’s urban integration career,’ said miguel angel lopez carro.

view across the water

the park is accessible at night with lights generated from the bases of the masts

platforms extend out of the landscape above the water

customized rendering featuring flags of different countries

construction of the surfaces with their nanogenerators

site plan

section

contextual axonometric drawing

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.