SUNDAY JANUARY 08 2012
Born in Shandong in 1973, Liu has made a name for himself as the ‘invisible man’, a master of camouflage – an exponent of ‘stage photography’, as he likes to think of it, who paints himself so well that he blends in with his surroundings.
A graduate of theSuojia Village, a Beijing community where Bolin was based built specifically for artists.
“At the time, contemporary art was in quick development in Beijing,” says Liu. “But the government decided it did not want artists like us to gather and live together. "
“The situation for artists in China was very difficult and the forced removal of Suojia Village was my direct inspiration of my series of photographs ‘Hiding In The City’.
“I was filled with indignation,” he adds. “I painted myself in the same colour as the pulled-down walls and tried blending into the demolished areas. I wanted to disappear!"
“It was a sort of self-defence mechanism because I think it was better than being overlooked. It represented my helpless mood and I achieved some balance in my heart after finishing this artwork.”
A year later, a gallery curator from America went to the artist’s studio,and bought some of Liu’s works, which brought him worldwide attention.
For the last four years, Liu has branched out from his Chinese setting and created a series of photos where New York, Paris, Venice, Rome and London have been the backdrop for his human canvas.
To achieve the required effect, Bolin stands still for hours – at least five and sometimes as many as ten – to be painted and photographed.
When he started out, he asked friends to do the painting and photography but now employs assistants, most often art students.
He says: “My job is to choose a good background where I want to be ‘disappeared’, and then stand there stationary until a design has been painted on me."
“My work sort of reminds people what the community we live in really looks like, and what kind of problems exist."
“Some people call me the invisible man, but for me it's what is not seen in a picture which is really what tells the story.”
The video above shows the transformation that Bolin has to go through to create one of his artworks. Here he blends into the staircase of Paris’ Grand Palais.
For more information on Liu Bolin, please visit http://www.liubolinart.com/
SUNDAY DECEMBER 25 2011
Perhaps you are now the lucky owner of new bottle of aftershave, yet another tie and a pair (or ten) of those socks you always wanted - remember it's the thought that counts.
However, just imagine finding this little gem under the Christmas tree. A superb 1:3 scale model of a Ferrari 312 PB, built by telecoms engineer Pierre Scerri who devoted no fewer than 20,000 hours over 12 years to create it.
The Ferrari 312 PB was originally introduced by the Italian high-end carmaker in 1971 as part of the Ferrari P series of Prototype-Sports Cars, but was re-designated as a Group 5 Sports Car for 1972, winning all of the World Sportscar Championship races it entered that season.
Scerri was smitten and set himself the task of creating a 100 per cent accurate scaled-down replica. “When I was younger, I saw Ferrari in many races, and my dream was to get this Ferrari sound – this music – at home,” says Scerri of the inimitable Ferrari engine noise.
"I didn’t have the money to buy one so I had to make one.I wanted to make something
like a dream – a Ferrari which I could have in the dining room. That was the challenge I set myself and to achieve it I had to learn how to make everything in this car."
Scerri not only made every single part himself, but also had to make and design the mould for every single part. I took photos of the real car and made all my own drawings from these photoThat phase took three years. Then to build the actual car took me another 12 years.”
A model car so long in the making is no ordinary model car, and one of the reasons it took so long was because under the body of Scerri’s Ferrari miniature is a scaled down version of the original engine that purrs like only a Ferrari can purr.
I made the engine all by myself because I wanted to get the right sound,” he says. I needed a 12-cylinder, fuel-injected engine with a dry-sump. So I made everything myself down to the valves and the valve springs.
The engine in question is 100cc Flat-12, four-stroke internal combustion engine in a flat configuration, with 24 pistons.
If you want to know what it’s like to build a miniature version from scratch, watch this amazing video. Scerri took extra special time in tuning his engine so that it sounded like the full-scale model. And Scerri’s scale model even has a working gearbox that drives the wheels, boasting five forward gears and reverse.
"The car can run, we just need to find someone to drive it " says Scerri in reference to someone who will have to be no more than 50cm tall.
The Frenchman is now reportedly working on three new 1:3 scale models: A Ferrari 330 P4, another Ferrari 312PB and an engine for a Ferrari 250 GTO.
Time to start writing that Santa wish-list for next year!
SUNDAY DECEMBER 18 2011
Design Miami’s “Architecting the Future” exhibition has brought together for the first time in decades two iconic inventions from the great American systems theorist, designer and futurist Buckminster Fuller.
Sitting resplendently on a piece of downtown parkland for all to admire has been the only original prototype in existence of Fuller’s revolutionary, low cost, autonomous dwelling machine “The Fly’s Eye Dome” along with his sleek, omni-directional transport system the “Dymaxion” car, recently reconstructed by renowned British architect Norman Foster.
The Dymaxion car was designed by Fuller in the early 1930s. Its name was a composite of the words ‘dynamic’, ‘maximum’ and ‘ion’ and it featured highly innovative, and ultimately influential, features compared with the common car of the day.
In 1928 he had conceived a flying car with inflatable wings which was modified in subsequent drawings into a streamlined road vehicle the rear of which would rise in an aerodynamic lift to ‘fly’ steered by a rudder as the front rolled. In 1933 he presented his plans for the three-wheeled Dymaxion Car with rear steering and front-wheel drive powered by a Ford engine.
Success of the design was realised in its performance efficiencies: The car could transport up to 11 passengers, reach speeds of up to 145kmh/90mph, and ran 30 miles to the gallon (12.7km to the litre).
The aerodynamic shape, most closely related to high performance yachts, came partly from Fuller’s co-designer, the shipbuilder Starling Burgess. The rave reviews of the car’s styling, speed and manoeuvrability were tragically undermined when the first of three prototypes was rammed and overturned, killing the driver, outside the entrance to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
Foster, who worked with his hero Fuller from 1971 until his death in 1983, borrowed it for inspiration from the National Automobile Museum in Nevade a few years ago when he decided to build Dymaxion No.4, the joint showpiece of the Miami exhibition which has also featured talks and films on Foster and his own design philosophies.
“A design classic may not be recognised at the time, but over time it may become timeless,” says Foster. "I have driven the Dymaxion No.4. It’s just wonderful to drive. The experience of pivoting on itself, turning literally on a dime, is just extraordinary.”
The external appearance of the Dymaxion was sensational; its streamline shape is still strong today and the design had an enormous impact on the future evolution of "horseless carriage."
After 1947, one invention dominated Fuller's life and career: The geodesic dome.
Lightweight, cost-effective, and easy to assemble, geodesic domes enclose more space without intrusive supporting columns than any other structure; they efficiently distribute stress; and they can withstand extremely harsh conditions.
Based on Fuller's “synergetic geometry” – Fuller coined the term “synergies” as we may use them today – the geodesic dome was the result of his revolutionary discoveries about balancing compression and tension forces in building.
In the 1950s, domes began to be used by US government departments as temporary shelters for expeditions by the military, for housing radar installations in the Arctic, for example.
And this type of dome structure was also successfully deployed as the American pavilion at the Montreal world fair, Expo ’67.
“Bucky talked about the possibilities of plants and air movement, and that has been quite inspirational,” says Foster. “I could talk about architectural projects we have done and are doing now that really develop those principles where you work with natural ventilation and you reduce the energy load of a building.
“His mission, his philosophy, his beliefs and, in many ways, his demonstration of the ability to do more with less have come true. He talked about satellites in the sky weighing a few kilos, for instance, compared to the thousands of tonnes of copper cable that were being used for communications.”
“In a way he anticipated all the things we take for granted. He would say ‘I told you so’.”
For more information on Buckminster Fuller, his ideas and inventions, please visit http://www.bfi.org/
SUNDAY DECEMBER 11 2011
The spectacular site – called Tverrfjellhytta, which means ‘cross mountain’ – is located on the outskirts of the Dovrefjell National Park, which coincidently overlook the Snøhetta mountains.
The main purpose of the 75m2 building is to provide shelter for school groups and visitors as mountain guides lecture about the unique wildlife and history of the Dovre Mountain plateau.
Dovrefjell is home to wild reindeer herds, musk oxen, arctic foxes and a variety of endemic botanical species. A long history of travelers, hunting traditions, mining and military activities have left their mark on this land.
Natural, cultural and mythical landscapes form the basis of the architectural idea behind Tverrfjellhytta.
The building design is based on a contrast between a rigid outer shell and a soft organic-shaped inner core.
The wooden core is placed within a rectangular frame of raw steel and glass that is shaped as though it has been eroded by wind and running water. The organic form creates a protected and warm gathering place, while still preserving visitors’ access to spectacular views.
Considerable emphasis is put on the quality and durability of materials so that the building can withstand the harsh climate. The shelter's simple form and use of natural building materials reference local building traditions.
Tourism and recreation continue to shape the cultural landscape of the area and Dovrefjell holds significant importance in the consciousness of Norway. National legends, myths, poetry, music and pilgrimages celebrate the mystic, eternal and grounded qualities of this locale. The founding motto of the Norwegian constitution are “greed and faithful, until the fall of Dovre!"
The impressive design came is not surprising considering Snøhetta impressive track record. Among other successes, the company received the 2004 Aga Khan Award for Architecture for their brilliant revival of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt.
For more information, please visit Snøhetta
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20 2011
Step forward the visionary, Danny Hillis. Inventor, computer engineer and designer. At the start of the 1990s, Hillis started to think about building a clock that marks the passing of a whopping 10,000 years: A clock that chimes once a day, ticks once a year, has a hand that advances once every century. Plus a cuckoo that comes once a millennium.
“When I was a growing up in the 1960s, people used to imagine what it would be like in ‘the future’, what would happen by the year 2000,” says Hillis.
“When the 1990s arrived, I found that people still perceived ‘the future’ as the year 2000. I didn’t want ‘the future’ to stop there, so I started to envisage a clock that would last for 10,000 years. Initially, it was just a personal project but then I realised the idea of the clock was making others think about the future and that the clock was inspiring long-term thinking.”
As part of his goal to promote long-term thinking, Hillis helped establish the Long Now Foundation, an association of like-minded people unhappy with society’s short-attention span and interested in an expanded sense of time as symbolised by the clock – not the “short now” of the next quarter year, next week or the next five minutes, but the “long now” of centuries and millennia.
One of those people was seminal ambient musician Brian Eno, who actually coined the foundation’s name.
The first prototype of the clock began working on December 31, 1999, just in time to display the transition to the year 2000. At midnight on New Year’s Eve, the date indicator changed from 01999 to 02000, and the chime struck twice.
More prototypes followed and thanks to the philanthropy of Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, construction of the full-size clock started earlier this year in a remote mountain in the Sierra Diablos, Texas. Bezos has put a cool $42million into the project.
“I've been helping Danny with the 10,000 year clock project for the last half dozen years,”. I hope the clock becomes an icon for long-term thinking and gets people considering more about the future.
“Over the lifetime of this clock, the United States won't exist. Whole civilizations will rise and fall. New systems of government will be invented. You can't imagine the world – no-one can – that we're trying to get this clock to pass through.”
The monumental clock will be 60m (200ft) tall and rest 150m (500ft) into the mountain. Gears as high as 2.5m (8ft) tall weighing 450kg (1,000lbs) are being built and the clock will be ‘self-winding’ thanks to a mixture of thermal power and weights as heavy as 9,000kg (20,000lbs).
Hillis adds: “The clock will keep ticking on its own but it won’t tell the time until someone winds it forward. If you walk away from it for a thousand years, it will keep on ticking.”
One of the main challenges has been how to cut the stair access along the vertical tunnel where much of the clock mechanism will be.
The mountain will also house five chambers to mark one-year, 10-year, 100-year 1,000-year and 10,000-year anniversaries of the clock, but only the first two will be built and the rest left for future generations to construct.
And the clock’s bells will chime a different, never-repeating sequence every day for 10,000 years via a melody generator created by legendary producer Eno, making every visitor’s experience unique.
But many of those ditties may never be heard because visiting the clock will take some commitment: The nearest airport is several hours away by car, and the foot trail to it is rugged, rising almost 600m (2,000ft) above the valley floor.
Above is a time lapse of the building of one full size section of the Chime Generator for the 10,000 Year Clock. Eventually there will be 30 sections like this stacked vertically in an underground chamber leading up to the Clock face chamber. It will be several hundred feet tall. Also note the 'trilobe' gears, these triangular gears help flatten out the speed and torque curve of driving the mechanism. This version is made of steel, aluminum, and even wood while they sort out the engineering and scaling issues. The next versions will be ceramic, stone, and stainless steel.
For more information on the 10,000 year clock project, please visit: http://www.10000yearclock.net/
And if you have an idea for how to kit out the 10-year anniversary chamber, you can email it to 10-year-chamber@10000yearclock.net.
Amazing vanishing act from human chameleon Liu Bolin
What started off as a protest against the authorities has become a career for Chinese artist Liu Bolin.Born in Shandong in 1973, Liu has made a name for himself as the ‘invisible man’, a master of camouflage – an exponent of ‘stage photography’, as he likes to think of it, who paints himself so well that he blends in with his surroundings.
A graduate of theSuojia Village, a Beijing community where Bolin was based built specifically for artists.
“At the time, contemporary art was in quick development in Beijing,” says Liu. “But the government decided it did not want artists like us to gather and live together. "
“The situation for artists in China was very difficult and the forced removal of Suojia Village was my direct inspiration of my series of photographs ‘Hiding In The City’.
“I was filled with indignation,” he adds. “I painted myself in the same colour as the pulled-down walls and tried blending into the demolished areas. I wanted to disappear!"
“It was a sort of self-defence mechanism because I think it was better than being overlooked. It represented my helpless mood and I achieved some balance in my heart after finishing this artwork.”
A year later, a gallery curator from America went to the artist’s studio,and bought some of Liu’s works, which brought him worldwide attention.
For the last four years, Liu has branched out from his Chinese setting and created a series of photos where New York, Paris, Venice, Rome and London have been the backdrop for his human canvas.
To achieve the required effect, Bolin stands still for hours – at least five and sometimes as many as ten – to be painted and photographed.
When he started out, he asked friends to do the painting and photography but now employs assistants, most often art students.
He says: “My job is to choose a good background where I want to be ‘disappeared’, and then stand there stationary until a design has been painted on me."
“My work sort of reminds people what the community we live in really looks like, and what kind of problems exist."
“Some people call me the invisible man, but for me it's what is not seen in a picture which is really what tells the story.”
The video above shows the transformation that Bolin has to go through to create one of his artworks. Here he blends into the staircase of Paris’ Grand Palais.
For more information on Liu Bolin, please visit http://www.liubolinart.com/
SUNDAY DECEMBER 25 2011
A working scale model Ferrari: The perfect present
It’s Christmas Day and all at MB&F hope that you have been having an enjoyable festive period and are looking forward to what the year ahead will offer.It is possible that you have already had the pleasure of opening a few gifts from those near and dear to you.Perhaps you are now the lucky owner of new bottle of aftershave, yet another tie and a pair (or ten) of those socks you always wanted - remember it's the thought that counts.
However, just imagine finding this little gem under the Christmas tree. A superb 1:3 scale model of a Ferrari 312 PB, built by telecoms engineer Pierre Scerri who devoted no fewer than 20,000 hours over 12 years to create it.
The Ferrari 312 PB was originally introduced by the Italian high-end carmaker in 1971 as part of the Ferrari P series of Prototype-Sports Cars, but was re-designated as a Group 5 Sports Car for 1972, winning all of the World Sportscar Championship races it entered that season.
Scerri was smitten and set himself the task of creating a 100 per cent accurate scaled-down replica. “When I was younger, I saw Ferrari in many races, and my dream was to get this Ferrari sound – this music – at home,” says Scerri of the inimitable Ferrari engine noise.
"I didn’t have the money to buy one so I had to make one.I wanted to make something
like a dream – a Ferrari which I could have in the dining room. That was the challenge I set myself and to achieve it I had to learn how to make everything in this car."
Scerri not only made every single part himself, but also had to make and design the mould for every single part. I took photos of the real car and made all my own drawings from these photoThat phase took three years. Then to build the actual car took me another 12 years.”
A model car so long in the making is no ordinary model car, and one of the reasons it took so long was because under the body of Scerri’s Ferrari miniature is a scaled down version of the original engine that purrs like only a Ferrari can purr.
I made the engine all by myself because I wanted to get the right sound,” he says. I needed a 12-cylinder, fuel-injected engine with a dry-sump. So I made everything myself down to the valves and the valve springs.
The engine in question is 100cc Flat-12, four-stroke internal combustion engine in a flat configuration, with 24 pistons.
If you want to know what it’s like to build a miniature version from scratch, watch this amazing video. Scerri took extra special time in tuning his engine so that it sounded like the full-scale model. And Scerri’s scale model even has a working gearbox that drives the wheels, boasting five forward gears and reverse.
"The car can run, we just need to find someone to drive it " says Scerri in reference to someone who will have to be no more than 50cm tall.
The Frenchman is now reportedly working on three new 1:3 scale models: A Ferrari 330 P4, another Ferrari 312PB and an engine for a Ferrari 250 GTO.
Time to start writing that Santa wish-list for next year!
SUNDAY DECEMBER 18 2011
Buckminster Fuller: Futuristic inventor of the Dymaxion car and the geodesic dome
Those driving down 39th street and 1st Court in Miami over the past month or so could have not failed to notice two stunning additions to the Magic City.Design Miami’s “Architecting the Future” exhibition has brought together for the first time in decades two iconic inventions from the great American systems theorist, designer and futurist Buckminster Fuller.
Sitting resplendently on a piece of downtown parkland for all to admire has been the only original prototype in existence of Fuller’s revolutionary, low cost, autonomous dwelling machine “The Fly’s Eye Dome” along with his sleek, omni-directional transport system the “Dymaxion” car, recently reconstructed by renowned British architect Norman Foster.
The Dymaxion car was designed by Fuller in the early 1930s. Its name was a composite of the words ‘dynamic’, ‘maximum’ and ‘ion’ and it featured highly innovative, and ultimately influential, features compared with the common car of the day.
In 1928 he had conceived a flying car with inflatable wings which was modified in subsequent drawings into a streamlined road vehicle the rear of which would rise in an aerodynamic lift to ‘fly’ steered by a rudder as the front rolled. In 1933 he presented his plans for the three-wheeled Dymaxion Car with rear steering and front-wheel drive powered by a Ford engine.
Success of the design was realised in its performance efficiencies: The car could transport up to 11 passengers, reach speeds of up to 145kmh/90mph, and ran 30 miles to the gallon (12.7km to the litre).
The aerodynamic shape, most closely related to high performance yachts, came partly from Fuller’s co-designer, the shipbuilder Starling Burgess. The rave reviews of the car’s styling, speed and manoeuvrability were tragically undermined when the first of three prototypes was rammed and overturned, killing the driver, outside the entrance to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair.
Foster, who worked with his hero Fuller from 1971 until his death in 1983, borrowed it for inspiration from the National Automobile Museum in Nevade a few years ago when he decided to build Dymaxion No.4, the joint showpiece of the Miami exhibition which has also featured talks and films on Foster and his own design philosophies.
“A design classic may not be recognised at the time, but over time it may become timeless,” says Foster. "I have driven the Dymaxion No.4. It’s just wonderful to drive. The experience of pivoting on itself, turning literally on a dime, is just extraordinary.”
The external appearance of the Dymaxion was sensational; its streamline shape is still strong today and the design had an enormous impact on the future evolution of "horseless carriage."
After 1947, one invention dominated Fuller's life and career: The geodesic dome.
Lightweight, cost-effective, and easy to assemble, geodesic domes enclose more space without intrusive supporting columns than any other structure; they efficiently distribute stress; and they can withstand extremely harsh conditions.
Based on Fuller's “synergetic geometry” – Fuller coined the term “synergies” as we may use them today – the geodesic dome was the result of his revolutionary discoveries about balancing compression and tension forces in building.
In the 1950s, domes began to be used by US government departments as temporary shelters for expeditions by the military, for housing radar installations in the Arctic, for example.
And this type of dome structure was also successfully deployed as the American pavilion at the Montreal world fair, Expo ’67.
“Bucky talked about the possibilities of plants and air movement, and that has been quite inspirational,” says Foster. “I could talk about architectural projects we have done and are doing now that really develop those principles where you work with natural ventilation and you reduce the energy load of a building.
“His mission, his philosophy, his beliefs and, in many ways, his demonstration of the ability to do more with less have come true. He talked about satellites in the sky weighing a few kilos, for instance, compared to the thousands of tonnes of copper cable that were being used for communications.”
“In a way he anticipated all the things we take for granted. He would say ‘I told you so’.”
For more information on Buckminster Fuller, his ideas and inventions, please visit http://www.bfi.org/
SUNDAY DECEMBER 11 2011
Stunning Norwegian reindeer pavilion
Oslo-New York international design agency Snøhetta has created a stunning observation and information pavilion in Hjerkinn, Norway for the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Foundation.The spectacular site – called Tverrfjellhytta, which means ‘cross mountain’ – is located on the outskirts of the Dovrefjell National Park, which coincidently overlook the Snøhetta mountains.
The main purpose of the 75m2 building is to provide shelter for school groups and visitors as mountain guides lecture about the unique wildlife and history of the Dovre Mountain plateau.
Dovrefjell is home to wild reindeer herds, musk oxen, arctic foxes and a variety of endemic botanical species. A long history of travelers, hunting traditions, mining and military activities have left their mark on this land.
Natural, cultural and mythical landscapes form the basis of the architectural idea behind Tverrfjellhytta.
The building design is based on a contrast between a rigid outer shell and a soft organic-shaped inner core.
The wooden core is placed within a rectangular frame of raw steel and glass that is shaped as though it has been eroded by wind and running water. The organic form creates a protected and warm gathering place, while still preserving visitors’ access to spectacular views.
Considerable emphasis is put on the quality and durability of materials so that the building can withstand the harsh climate. The shelter's simple form and use of natural building materials reference local building traditions.
Tourism and recreation continue to shape the cultural landscape of the area and Dovrefjell holds significant importance in the consciousness of Norway. National legends, myths, poetry, music and pilgrimages celebrate the mystic, eternal and grounded qualities of this locale. The founding motto of the Norwegian constitution are “greed and faithful, until the fall of Dovre!"
The impressive design came is not surprising considering Snøhetta impressive track record. Among other successes, the company received the 2004 Aga Khan Award for Architecture for their brilliant revival of the Library of Alexandria in Egypt.
For more information, please visit Snøhetta
SUNDAY NOVEMBER 20 2011
The 10,000 Year Clock: Tick -12 months later-Tock
Ever heard the one about the visionary, the engineer, the philanthropist and the musician? Oh, and the clock…the very big clock?Step forward the visionary, Danny Hillis. Inventor, computer engineer and designer. At the start of the 1990s, Hillis started to think about building a clock that marks the passing of a whopping 10,000 years: A clock that chimes once a day, ticks once a year, has a hand that advances once every century. Plus a cuckoo that comes once a millennium.
“When I was a growing up in the 1960s, people used to imagine what it would be like in ‘the future’, what would happen by the year 2000,” says Hillis.
“When the 1990s arrived, I found that people still perceived ‘the future’ as the year 2000. I didn’t want ‘the future’ to stop there, so I started to envisage a clock that would last for 10,000 years. Initially, it was just a personal project but then I realised the idea of the clock was making others think about the future and that the clock was inspiring long-term thinking.”
As part of his goal to promote long-term thinking, Hillis helped establish the Long Now Foundation, an association of like-minded people unhappy with society’s short-attention span and interested in an expanded sense of time as symbolised by the clock – not the “short now” of the next quarter year, next week or the next five minutes, but the “long now” of centuries and millennia.
One of those people was seminal ambient musician Brian Eno, who actually coined the foundation’s name.
The first prototype of the clock began working on December 31, 1999, just in time to display the transition to the year 2000. At midnight on New Year’s Eve, the date indicator changed from 01999 to 02000, and the chime struck twice.
More prototypes followed and thanks to the philanthropy of Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, construction of the full-size clock started earlier this year in a remote mountain in the Sierra Diablos, Texas. Bezos has put a cool $42million into the project.
“I've been helping Danny with the 10,000 year clock project for the last half dozen years,”. I hope the clock becomes an icon for long-term thinking and gets people considering more about the future.
“Over the lifetime of this clock, the United States won't exist. Whole civilizations will rise and fall. New systems of government will be invented. You can't imagine the world – no-one can – that we're trying to get this clock to pass through.”
The monumental clock will be 60m (200ft) tall and rest 150m (500ft) into the mountain. Gears as high as 2.5m (8ft) tall weighing 450kg (1,000lbs) are being built and the clock will be ‘self-winding’ thanks to a mixture of thermal power and weights as heavy as 9,000kg (20,000lbs).
Hillis adds: “The clock will keep ticking on its own but it won’t tell the time until someone winds it forward. If you walk away from it for a thousand years, it will keep on ticking.”
One of the main challenges has been how to cut the stair access along the vertical tunnel where much of the clock mechanism will be.
The mountain will also house five chambers to mark one-year, 10-year, 100-year 1,000-year and 10,000-year anniversaries of the clock, but only the first two will be built and the rest left for future generations to construct.
And the clock’s bells will chime a different, never-repeating sequence every day for 10,000 years via a melody generator created by legendary producer Eno, making every visitor’s experience unique.
But many of those ditties may never be heard because visiting the clock will take some commitment: The nearest airport is several hours away by car, and the foot trail to it is rugged, rising almost 600m (2,000ft) above the valley floor.
Above is a time lapse of the building of one full size section of the Chime Generator for the 10,000 Year Clock. Eventually there will be 30 sections like this stacked vertically in an underground chamber leading up to the Clock face chamber. It will be several hundred feet tall. Also note the 'trilobe' gears, these triangular gears help flatten out the speed and torque curve of driving the mechanism. This version is made of steel, aluminum, and even wood while they sort out the engineering and scaling issues. The next versions will be ceramic, stone, and stainless steel.
For more information on the 10,000 year clock project, please visit: http://www.10000yearclock.net/
And if you have an idea for how to kit out the 10-year anniversary chamber, you can email it to 10-year-chamber@10000yearclock.net.
