A massive structure composed of filigree central columns will keep Londoners informed on weather, Olympic race results and spectator numbers at the Olympic Park. The Cloud, devised by by an international team of architects, artists and engineers, will feature 400-foot-tall interlocked towers. Powered with numerous solar powered plastic bubbles, the completely off-the-grid structure will serve as an observation deck and a park as well. It was shortlisted in a competition set up by London Mayor Boris Johnson.
People ascending to the Cloud by bicycle or on foot will allow the installation a chance to employ a regenerative braking system. It has been hailed as as a “sculptural spectacle” and “a celebration of technology” by Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture and design at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Given that the construction cost could range from £5m to £50m, the MIT designers are asking contributors to chip in with useful contributions to make sure that the sculptural spectacle becomes a visible reality.
Carlo Ratti, one of the architects from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) said…
It’s really about people coming together to raise the Cloud. We can build our Cloud with £5m or £50m. The flexibility of the structural system will allow us to tune the size of the Cloud to the level of funding that is reached.
Via: BBC