Environmental Graffiti

Above image © Mark Glean

London hopes to be the proud owner of the world’s first tidal-powered lunar clock. Set to be built for the 2012 Olympics, the clock hopes to be a focal point for the games. Designed and managed by British firm Aluna Limited, the lunar clock will be the first public artwork on the planet to power homes. The structure will be 40 metres wide and powered by turbines beneath the tidal River Thames. The turbines would also produce enough lighting power for hundreds of homes. The structure hopes to be a “beacon for sustainability to enlighten our time-poor, throw-away world”.

As Carl Honoré highlighted the need to slow down, so the lunar clock delights in encouraging an alignment with the natural world and builds an awareness of our place in the Universe.

The joy of the lunar clock is its simplicity and self-sufficiency. The glass and steel structure is to be made up of three huge concentric rings, designed to light up to represent the waxing and waning of the moon. When the moon is full, the tidal forces would be greater, making the clock shine more brightly. The clock is self-sufficient in all power requirements from the very elements it is designed to measure. It demonstrates one of the world’s most reliable renewable energy sources. As long as the Moon circles the Earth, the Earth keeps turning and the oceans don’t freeze, the tides will keep ebbing and flowing.

A remarkable piece of engineering, and set to become the most exciting landmark on the globe. We can’t wait!

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