Land Art Generator Initiative was a contest where designers had been invited to participate and integrate art and the concept of renewable energy in one creation. They had to make something unique that could both embellish Abu Dhabi and generate power for thousands of homes in the area.
The project which won the competition was Lunar Cubit, a solar power complex of pyramids. There is one large pyramid in the center, and eight smaller ones surround it in a circle. The system was designed to work as a sort of solar power farm during the day, and as a lunar calendar during the night.
Each pyramid is covered by frameless solar panels, and each panel can produce enough energy to power 250 homes. During the night, the entire structure is illuminated by energy-efficient LED lights to show the phases of the moon. The center pyramid, which is proportional to the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Egypt, will be at its full illumination at the new moon, and it will display less light when the fool moon rises. The other eight will also be illuminated differently, according to the phases of the moon.
The Lunar Cubit is a project of four designers: Jen DeNike, Robert Flottemesch, Adrian P. De Luca, and Johanna Ballhaus. If they will find someone to sponsor their project, the pyramid complex will definitely become a new tourist attraction of Abu Dhabi.
