Los Angeles architects Emergent have designed an installation filled with green algae that produces oil through photosynthesis. The project dubbed Flower Street BioReactor, will be constructed of transparent acrylic, while internal LED lights will vary in colour and brightness to maintain ideal conditions for the algae. The installation, which will be set up in a shop window in LA, was designed for the Department of Cultural Affairs to raise awareness of alternative fuels.
According to OriginOil: “this is a true bio-feedback system… the algae lets the LED controller know what it needs as it needs it, creating a self-adjusting growth system.” At night, when this system intensifies, it generates a simultaneously urban and jungle affect: glittery reflections on acrylic combine with an eerie élan vital of glowing algae. The project is slated for complete in early 2010.
