Arco del Tiempo (Arch of Time) is a generative and enduring sculptural installation building in Mason Park of East End Houston. The project will function as a stage, gathering space, sundial, and solar power source – representing a monumental achievement in environmental sustainability within the realm of public art, setting a new benchmark for the City of Houston.
Created by Berlin-based artist and architect Riccardo Mariano, the 100-foot arch sculpture is projected to cost around $20 million – paid solely by donations.
In addition to its stunning quality, Arco del Tiempo will also possess a special sundial feature in which precise movements of the sun will activate a spectrum of light and colors – bridging art and technology.
The sculpture will generate approximately 400,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity yearly – that is, the equivalent to the powering 40 Texas homes as well as the nearby Talento Bilingüe de Houston cultural hub. As such, it will become the source of electricity at Mason Park said Houstno City Council Member, Joaquin Martinez.
“It’s going to transform Mason Park and put the East End on the map in a whole new, big way,” U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston said. “The arch of time will be a 100-foot-tall, free-standing sundial, the largest of its kind in the world.”
“Over its lifetime, the artwork will generate more than 12 million kilowatt-hours of clean, renewable energy—the equivalent of removing 8,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide,” said Elizabeth Monoian, Founding Co-director of the Land Art Generator Initiative.
“Through the clean energy it produces, Arco del Tiempo (Arch of Time) will pay back its embodied carbon footprint. In other words, all the energy that went into its making—from the smelting of the steel to the drilling that puts the final cladding into place—will be offset through the energy it generates.”
“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,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner in a press release.
“The City of Houston has always stood at the vanguard of energy innovation and the Arco del Tiempo (Arch of Time) 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.”
Arco del Tiempo is expected to open within two years. Stay tuned for more details!