Nikola Basic

Architects are artists too; Croatian art installation from architect Nikola Basic is available for the public to interact with as both an art piece and public attraction. However, the project is not just a beautiful addition to the urban landscape, but an innovative one as well.

The piece, entitled "Sun Salutation", is constructed from three hundred photo-voltaic glass plates that light up as the sun descends on the horizon, illuminating the night with dancing patterns of lights.

The solar energy of the sun powers the project as well as the surrounding waterfront area where it is housed.

Creations such as Basic's exemplify a new and hopefully upcoming standard of energy efficiency in art, as well as sustainable design in public urban areas.

Basic is renown for his work in the design of the Sea Organ, another installation along the Croatian waterfront. This piece utilizes his knowledge of acoustics as thirty-five organ pipes flank a service tunnel, outputting beautiful tones as the waves push a column of wave-moved water into a column of air, blowing its respective organ pipe. Again, Basic incorporates the renewable energy of waves to power his art form.

A myriad of tones and chords result from the random distribution of wave frequency, taking advantage of the perpetuous motion of the Adriatic Sea that borders it.

The music of his "Morske orgulje," or "Sea Organ", can be heard here.

The installation is quite a feat in engineering, is visually pleasing, and serves as a popular public hot spot, just one of the great accomplishments of architect and artist Nikola Basic.

The image pictured above illustrates Basic's design plans for his work.