These urban flowers in Jerusalem are not your ordinary blooms. Instead of emanating a sweet scent, these “flowers” give light at nighttime and provide shade during the day to pedestrians who pass by and stay under them.
Called the “Warde” project, the four 9-meter high by 9-meter wide flower sculptures are situated in Jerusalem’s Vallero Square, an urban area in poor condition. Rather than going against the marketplace’s metropolitan nature, the designers decided to work in harmony with the municipality’s effort in improving this specific area of the city.
By installing these four elements that have a hint of fantasy, the municipality hopes that it will help lighten up the urban space and somehow overcome the reality of the square’s condition.
HQ Architects developed this public installation which offers not only aesthetic value but also real-life function as well. The playfully responsive design is what makes these huge blooms unique, and they were purposely-designed to be big enough so they are visible from all around the square and from the adjacent market.
These group of architects believe in a strong and pragmatic approach when they design their projects. On their website they said: “Our passion for creativity, problem solving approach, our technical and technological skillfulness are injected in all our projects, showcasing our ability to provide clients and users alike with valuable and high-quality design.”
These giant urban flowers are motion-activated, which means that certain responses are elicited from them whenever pedestrians walk by.
When people pass by, the flowers inflate and open up. The same happens when the tram is approaching the station. Once the square becomes deserted, its crimson petals wilt and remain closed until the vicinity is bustling with activity once more. People can also use the flowers as shade from the sun or light when nighttime comes.
“The urban space suddenly reacts to the people using it,” HQ Architects describes.
See the urban flowers in action in the video below.