Wendy isn’t just a fun name — it’s also a super green architectural creation. After a tour of Shams 1 — the largest single-unit solar power plant in the world — CleanTechnica director Zachary Shahan and I received a “VIP Media” tour of Wendy as part of our journey in Abu Dhabi (UAE). Wendy is a 56-foot-tall award-winning art installation that has been placed on Corniche beach to highlight Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week. Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week hosted over 30,000 participants from 150 countries over the course of the week, January 13–17, 2013.
Marika visiting Wendy at Corniche beach in Abu Dhabi. Photo Credit: Zachary Shahan / CleanTechnica
Wendy from a distance. Photo Credit: Zachary Shahan / CleanTechnica
Wendy was designed by HWKN (Matthias Hollwich and Marc Kushner), winner of the MoMA PS1 2012 Young Architects Program in New York. Matthias and Marc gave us a tour of the super green architectural creation, pointing out some of its less obvious but important features.
People entering Wendy. Photo Credit: Marika Krakowiak / CleanTechnica
The spiky, nylon mass, which is treated with titania nanofilm spray, cleans the air by neutralising airborne pollutants (pollutants that have been linked to early death by numerous scientific studies). During its week-long installation, Wendy will remove pollution created by about 260 cars. The installation is powered by Masdar’s solar panels and serves people cool air, water, and music.
Wendy & the moon. Photo Credit: Zachary Shahan / CleanTechnica
The lights and spikes of Wendy in early evening (Corniche Beach, Abu Dhabi, UAE). Photo Credit: Zachary Shahan / CleanTechnica
Wendy has added great value to public space by offering people a sustainable and social zone on a Corniche beach, which was certified with a Blue Flag in June 2011 for its sustainable development and environmental management. It was interesting, while there, to see how others responded to the art exhibition and read about its interesting environmental features.
Touring the inside of Wendy with Karl Burkart. Photo Credit: Zachary Shahan / CleanTechnica
Fans, mist, and light inside Wendy. Photo Credit: Zachary Shahan / CleanTechnica
So, if you are visiting UAE at the moment or if you are living there, do not miss the chance to meet Wendy, as the exhibition will be open for visitors to walk into through February 6, 2013.
For more stories and exclusive CleanTechnica content from Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, check out our latest posts from the event in our Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week archives.
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