Public art, particularly some of the more cutting-edge works of our time, sometimes finds a difficult path toward harmony with the surrounding community.
But one art installation called "WARDE" in Jerusalem, Israel avoids such pitfalls by directly engaging the community, in a pleasant way, with giant, interactive flowers that respond to the presence of people.
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Developed by HQ Architects, the flowers, four in all, stand 30 feet high and their inflatable "petals" bloom to 30 feet wide when a pedestrian stands underneath one of the flowers. When the pedestrian walks away, the flower deflates into a drooping structure that, amazingly, still looks like a flower.
The flowers also spread their "petals" when the local tram arrives, providing a stunning visual cue to any nearby commuters hoping to catch a ride on the public transit service.
And at night, the base in the middle of the artificial flower's petals light up, delivering what might be the most beautiful street lamp we've ever seen.
A look into how the project was developing reveals a good deal about the design of the installation, but the firm doesn't detail exactly how (motion detectors, sensors, etc.) the flower-like structures sense the presence of pedestrians when prompted to open their petals. Nevertheless, the effect, (see video above) is stunning.
The project was developed as a way to improve the look and overall atmosphere of the otherwise uninspiring market square in Jerusalem.