The Place of Tomorrow // Aesthetic Representation of Copenhagen’s Future Plan
Submission to the 2014 Land Art Generator Initiative Copenhagen design competition
Artist Team: Amir Shouri, Fereshteh Tabe
Artist Location: New York City, USA
Energy Technologies: piezoelectric fabric, piezoelectric discs
The Place of Tomorrow is a new type of public garden—a poetic, natural space that demonstrates the future of clean energy.
Oscillating textures of fabric shades are framed in homage to Copenhagen’s future energy-plan. As they wave in the wind, the shades make visible the wind’s forces and aesthetically display the real-time production of electrical energy.
As a reflection of the 8,000 workers who once worked in the Sønder Hoved shipyard, the garden is designed under 8,000 linear fabric shades of different lengths. The energy fabric dances freely in the air, while below park visitors enjoy swimming in the clear blue water. Bicyclers move between lounging couples, enjoying the rippling effects of the sun through the fabric above.
The longer fabric shades produce more electricity and are representative of the future (when most of Denmark’s electricity will be produced by wind), and the shorter shades represent the early 21st century (when only 22% of electricity was produced by wind). Overall, 8,000 pieces of electricity-generating fabric benefit from the movement of electrons in nanowires to produce enough energy to power the LED lights of the project and to offset 900 households on a windy day.
