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RENEWABLE ENERGY LANDSCAPE, MASDAR CITY, ABU DHABI
The goal of the Land Art Generator is to accelerate the transition to post-carbon economies by providing models of renewable energy infrastructure that add value to public space, inspire, and educate—while providing equitable power to thousands of homes around the world.
The LAGI 2019 competition centred around Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City; the brief being to ‘design an iconic work of art using renewable energy technology as a medium of creative expression to provide on-site energy production consistent with the master plan of the city.’
Ecotone is a place that is at once a sustainable energy generator, art, museum, and park.
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THE IDEA
Drawing its name from transitional landscapes, Ecotone’s underlying theme is the transition from old to new, from nature to technology, and from the past into the future. Concave solar collectors that convert heat into mechanical energy refer back to simpler times, while convex photovoltaic domes emerge from the landscape proudly displaying modern solar technology.
THE SITE
Location: Masdar City, Abu Dhabi.
Size: 25,000 square meters (300 m x 90 m).
GOING WITH THE FLOW
The undulating surfaces, evoking waves and dunes, invites families and friends to stroll and explore; to settle for an evening picnic and marvel at the solar concentrator dishes tipping towards the heavens or to enjoy the timeless rotation of the stars. The landscape peels up revealing a shady hidden grove of high-tech mangroves that desalinate water for on-site use, while an observation window allows people to see how the solar Stirling engines generate electricity.
STIRLING ENGINES
Ecotone’s primary power generation is achieved by four giant sun-tracking solar concentrator dishes, which are 15 metres in diameter, and that are linked to subterranean Stirling engines. Sunlight is collected and focused into the centre receptor, and energy is then generated by cyclic compression caused by the expansion of gas at different temperatures, resulting in piston movement inside a cylinder. This process generates electrical energy in simpler, more ‘analogue’ way compared to traditional photovoltaic systems. Photovoltaic dome shelters provide supplemental power and shelter from the sun, however the solar concentrator/Stirling engines produce power at a cheaper rate with higher efficiency than typical solar systems.
NIGHTSCAPE
As the temperature drops and sun diminishes, Ecotone transforms into a peaceful nightscape. As the solar collectors have generated and stored power during the day, they now become moving mirrors reflecting the night sky. Well lit shelters become places for meeting up with friends and family, as well as vantage points from which to observe the cosmic mirrors.
FOSSIL TUNNEL
The Fossil Tunnel tells the story of Abu Dhabi’s prehistoric flora and fauna. Taking advantage of where the GRT (Group Rapid Transit) line intersects the LAGI site, the tunnel slices away the landscape and and reveals fossils of apes, sabre-toothed tigers, double-tusked woolly mammoths, and other creatures that once roamed the region.
RECOGNITION + PUBLICATION
Ecotone was among 50 works selected for publication in Return to the Source.