Sebastian is no longer the only music-making professional in the ocean. Croatian architect Nikola BaÅ¡ić combined ingenuity, creativity, and a love for the city of Zadar to bring music back to the coast. Make sure you hit play up above before you keep going. You’re going to want to have the music of the ocean playing in the background for the rest of this.
World War II caused a lot of destruction in the city of Zadar – both the US and the UK bombed the city extensively during the war. Afterwards, the reconstruction efforts went towards rebuilding the city and much of the coast line was neglected. The idea for this natural organ that BaÅ¡ić built stemmed from his desire to bring some life back into the austere concrete structures that had once been public spaces where people could gather to explore the coastline.
He worked with professionals from a variety of fields including engineers and craftsmen to build the 70m of coast line that contain 35 polyethylene tubes topped with whistles that play 7 chords in different tones. He even brought in a professor of music to make sure that all the inner workings of the creation were tuned. This installation was finished in 2005 and has been delighting visitors to Zadar ever since. It even won the 2006 European Prize for Urban Public Spaces which recognized the simplicity and beauty of BašiĒs design.
I haven’t had the chance to visit Croatia, but this is exactly the kind of thing that I would want to see if I managed to get myself over there. What an absolutely stunning way to watch the sun rise or set over the water. Here’s the question though: Do you think the ocean can play “Under the Sea” with enough pizzaz?
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HT: IFLScience
Image via Croatia.org
