The world’s largest sundial, called Arco del Tiempo (Arch of Time), is under development by Berlin-based artist and architect Riccardo Mariano, and it takes the form of a 100-foot-tall triumphal arch, serving as a gateway to Houston’s East End / Segundo Barrio neighborhood.
1. Clean energy and public art
Arco del Tiempo is meant to be a permanent solar photovoltaic artwork, setting a new standard of environmental sustainability for public art in the US. Its installation is foreseen for 2024 and it’s expected to generate approximately 400,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean electricity each year, equivalent to the demand of forty Texas homes, and to offset more than 100% of the power demand of the nearby Talento Bilingüe de Houston (TBH) — a generational City-owned Latino cultural hub for performing arts in the East End.
This unique artwork is more than a sculpture. It is a renewable energy power plant. It is a monument to a new era of energy.
“The City of Houston has always stood at the vanguard of energy innovation and the Arco del Tiempo artwork stands in that tradition, highlighting Houston’s role as an art city and as global leader in the energy transition. We are inspired by the vision and creative thinking. Marrying clean energy, the built environment, and truly World Class art is Houston,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner.
2. LAGI
The architectural and sustainable project is the result of intense work by the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI), a non-profit organization advancing solutions to the climate crisis with innovative designs that merge functionality with art. LAGI’s vision of the energy transition is one in which artists and designers play a key role in bringing renewable energy technologies into landscapes and cities, using solar modules and other clean technologies as a way for creative expression and placemaking.
The Arco del Tiempo was part of the LAGI 2019 international competition for Houston’s sister city, Abu Dhabi, but it was Houston that has decided to build the project in the end. Since 2008 LAGI has been holding open call international design competitions for cities around the world and has amassed a portfolio of thousands of ideas to demonstrate how renewable energy can be beautiful.
“It was a pleasure to be part of the LAGI competition in 2019, and we’re very excited to be seeing the winning entry come to life — particularly in Abu Dhabi’s sister city,” said Chris Wan, associate director of sustainability and corporate social responsibility at Masdar City, an innovation hub in UAE that the 2019 competition was originally held for.
“We know that public art plays a significant role in the fabric of a city, and Arco del Tiempo is so much more than public art: it will also educate the public about sustainability while celebrating and advocating for it. It’s a powerful combination. I hope to see more art like it in the cities of the future,” Wan added.
