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A large silver sculpture made of polished metal tubes arranged in a radiating, semi-circular arch. It sits on a green lawn in front of a modern glass office building and bare winter trees.

Aeolus is a remarkable wind powered instrument humming away in Canary Wharf

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Date
4 April 2012

Named after the Greek god of wind, Aeolus – Acoustic Wind Pavilion is a giant instrument and optical sculpture, crafted by Luke Jerram. Currently singing away in Canary Wharf, Aeolus allows wind to resonate through polished steel tubes and along vibrating strings attached to the tubes. The hum produced is attuned to the aeolian scale and registers even in the lowest of winds, creating a soundscape of the environment throughout the day. The pavilion itself is a remarkable feat of elegant engineering as each protrusion reflects the sky light to the centre of the harp-like structure combining the particular nuances of light and sound into a quite beautiful and situationally unique performance.


Aeolus will be in Canada Square Walk, London’s Canary Wharf, until May 10.

A large, circular metal sculpture made of radiating silver pipes stands on a green lawn. A person stands beneath the arch, looking through to a modern building in the background.
Above

Photo by Andy Spain

A large, arching sculpture made of polished metal pipes stands on a green lawn. The pipes radiate outwards in a sunburst pattern, positioned beside a tall stone building.
Above

Aeolus at Lyme Park

A sculpture of polished silver metal tubes of varying heights, reaching up towards a blue sky. Some tubes are open at the top, while others have circular holes drilled into their sides.
Above

Harp Strings of the artwork

A low-angle view of a curved architectural beam with a honeycomb pattern of circular cut-outs. The structure stretches across a clear blue sky, framed by the glass facades of surrounding skyscrapers.
Above

View under arch. Photo by Andy Spain

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About the Author

Bryony Quinn

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Bryony was It’s Nice That’s first ever intern and worked her way up to assistant online editor before moving on to pursue other interests in the summer of 2012.

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