I live in a city where our idea of shared spaces are mostly malls. The fact that we don’t have any outdoor public places is a combination of bad city planning, the often too hot or too rainy weather, and maybe not seeing the need for places like these. So I envy cities where there are all kinds of parks, public squares, seafront quarters, and other spaces where people can just hang out without having to buy anything. And when there are even more interesting art installations there, I get even more envious.
Designers: Velvet, UN-LIKE, Stina Onemar
The Noblessner port in Talliinn, Estonia has existed even before World War I but now that it’s not a submarine shipyard anymore, it has become a public seafront quarter. A major attraction in this space is an illuminated bird’s nest made from metal, disused industrial objects and light art . What’s even more interesting here is that it was inspired by the sketch of 5-year-old Stina Onemar who thought about seeing something like this on top of the former lighting mast.
The eggs in the nest are made from polyethene and are actually weather resistant because of the rotational molding technology. The branches are made from materials from construction sites, including leftover roof edge trim to make the steel frame. These metallic materials also serve as reflectors for the lighting installation. The paint will also sport the eventual wear and tear until it blends with the light pole where it’s on top of, matching the natural ageing process since it’s located outside.
This is an interesting piece of art that combines reused materials with a natural design. The team from Velvet said that their design also shows how actual stork nests actually become “intertwined with human-made objects”. It’s also nice how they still involved the 5-year-old kid who inspired all of this in the production process. The nest light installation is visible from the road and also from the ships at sea.
