This may look like just another pretty 3D rendering but it’s not – it’s a real project that was just unveiled as part of a regeneration project for the waterfront at Widnes near the River Mersey in England. Dubbed Future Flower, the 14 meter-high bloom has giant petals of perforated galvanized steel, each one of which (if you take a look at the pics in our gallery) is almost the length of a grown man! The larger than life bud designed by London architect Tonkin Liu is illuminated at night by LED lights powered by small wind turbines.

Tonkin Liu enlisted the help of sustainability engineers XCO2, structural engineers Eckersley OʼCallaghan, and art fabricator Mike Smith Studio to craft the stunning Future Flower. Comprised of triangles and pentagons, the steel frame of the structure is an icosi-dodecahedron and holds 120 perforated steel petals. The central stalk contains 60 low voltage LED lights, each aimed at different clusters of petals.

The lights are powered by three mini off-grid wind turbines attached to the stem, and shine at different intensities of red, depending on the wind speed. When not lit up, the metal petals reflect the dynamic colors of the landscape and sunset.

Funded by the North West Development Agency as part of their Waterfront Regeneration Programme to the breathe new life into the vacant, polluted riverfront of Southern Widnes, Cheshire, the flower is a symbol of transformation. The program also hopes to create 1,100 jobs for the local economy with the development of a modern business park environment and associated leisure facilities right on the river.

+ Tonkin Liu

Via Dezeen