Houston's newest public artwork has been dubbed "the world's largest sundial," and it will also generate solar power for the city.
Riccardo Mariano, a Berlin-based artist and architect, designed the magnificent Arco del Tiempo (Arch of Time), which will be put in the Texan city's East End district in 2024.
The 100-foot-tall building will serve as a timer, a light display, and a solar installation that will generate 400,000 kWh of power every year. It has been created to reflect sunlight onto the surface of Houston's Guadalupe Plaza Park, with light patterns shifting depending on the location of the sun.
Solar panels installed on the sculpture's south-facing surface will generate enough power to power 40 local households and offset more than 100% of the power usage of the neighboring Talento Bilingüe de Houston, a city-owned Latino cultural hub for performing arts in the East End.
"Beyond its break-even point, which will be tracked and celebrated with the community, the artwork will live as a net-positive contributor to a healthy climate, and the planet will be better off for its existence," says Land Art Generator, a non-profit organization that assisted in the project's realization due to its interest in addressing the climate crisis with unique structures that combine functionality and art.
Riccardo Mariano's work was described as "a practical example to illustrate the movement of the earth around the sun in a playful way," with the space within the arch being used for public activities at night
"This unique artwork is more than a sculpture," said local mayor Sylvester Turner. "It is a power plant that uses renewable energy." It is a symbol of a new era of vitality."
"The City of Houston has always been at the forefront of energy innovation," Turner continued, "and the Arco del Tiempo artwork continues in that tradition, highlighting Houston's role as an art city and as a global leader in the energy transition."