Title: Savonius Shelter (On the Edge of Hearing)

Year: 2010

Site: Structures on the Edge is a new concept to integrate permanent small structures designed by artists and architects for the enjoyment and understanding of the coastal environment, on the extreme edges of the Lincolnshire coast, UK.

Maquette: 100 powder coated copper savonius rotors, 120mm high.

 

Proposal:

In response to my visit to this remote and windy site I proposed a structure that will act as a seated shelter with a curved kinetic surface of savonius rotors. These will plot and respond to the wind with natural rhythms and sound being the result depending on the strength of the gusts.

Savonius rotors are one of the simplest turbines. Aerodynamically, they are drag-type devices, consisting of two or three scoops. Their curved form means the scoops experience less drag when moving against the wind than when moving with the wind. The differential drag causes the Savonius turbine to spin. Savonius turbines are used whenever reliability is much more important than efficiency. For example, most anemometers are Savonius turbines, because efficiency is completely irrelevant for that application.

The entire structure will manually rotate upon a central bearing in order for the user to choose a view or possibly seek shelter from the wind. It is intended that the piece will have echoes of coastal listening devices and radar stations – a sense of watching and listening to the wind.


Copyright © Martin Smith 2011, all rights reserved.