nikola basic: sea organ.

4 04 2008

It’s always a thrill to come across a project so unique you don’t even know what to call it. I guess this would be a landscape architecture sonic sculpture. Or at least that’s what I’ve decided to classify it as. Whatever the name, this is one of the most achingly poetic and beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It’s the personification of nature, the song of the ocean played for human ears…

Designed by architect Nikola Basic and built in Zadar, Croatia, “Sea Organ” is a set of marble steps that descend into the sea. Built inside is a series of 35 calibrated steel tubes of various lengths and tilted and various angles. The movement of the waves pushes air through the tubes and into whistles; each whistle can create up to 7 different chords of five notes each. The pitch and colour of the music depends on the strength and flow of the waves, creating a rolling, organic melody that’s, I guess not surprisingly, reminiscent of whale song.

I almost can’t stand how beautiful this is. “Sea Organ” truly is a musical instrument being played by the sea…

Basic very-deservedly won the European Prize for Urban Public Space for this sublime project.

Via The Pompomist via NotCot

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Date : April408
Tags: Architecture, Art, Croatia, Landscape Architecture, Nikola Basic, Sea Organ, Sonic Sculpture, Sound, Zadar
Categories : artastic, artastic: outdoor, artastic: sculpture

5 responses

7 04 2008: The Sound of the Sea, the Sound of the Wind. « Water Ouzel (11:39:38) :

[...] melodies. These CDs were, after all, not very interactive. However, when something like the Sea Organ comes along, I will stand up and take notice. Not only is it a revitalization of the coastline in [...]
10 04 2008: stephanie (10:08:27) :

I think this is brilliant. I live somewhere where no one knows what to do with the waterfront – what a solution!

All of your posts are inspiring, but this one particularly stood out for me. Thank you.
15 04 2008: shape+colour on cbc.ca. « shape + colour (09:20:24) :

[...] post on Nikola Basic’s “Sea Organ” got quoted in an article called “400 Organs Thursday” by Li Robbins on the CBC blog. [...]
18 10 2008: grafulin (06:30:53) :

The Greeting to the Sun

After the world-known Sea Organs, Zadar has become wealthier with one more urban installation. On Istarska obala, at the very end of the Zadar peninsula, next to the famous Sea Organs, shines the Greeting to the Sun made by the same architect Nikola Bašić.

http://www.tzzadar.hr/events.php?id=9&el_id=2413
23 01 2009: jason de caires taylor: underwater sculptures. « shape+colour (15:41:47) :

[...] If you’re into this, check out the world-renowned outdoor installation of Antony Gormley and Nicola Basic’s amazing Sea Organ. [...]

shape+colour