Structures on the Edge Tower – The Wind Tower by MSA-Gruff

Created by MSA-Gruff in partnership with MSA Ltd., the Wind Tower was a proposal within the project “Structures on the Edge” in 2011. The structure was entirely prefabricated off-site and set on Lincolnshire’s coast, UK (between Chapel Six Marshes and Mablethorpe) in Spring 2014.

The user is drawn to the viewing tower, approaching via several steps (or an accessible ramp, should wheelchair access be required by the Authority). During the approach, there is no visible connection to the sea. There is a very slight 1:20 incline as you enter the viewing area, with a faint light at the end. The platform slowly lowers as you step inside, revealing a focused ‘strip’ of seascape. The tilting floor encourages you towards the edge, giving a direct view of the sea and shore and specifically the wind farm out to sea. By drawing the viewer forward, air paths within the structure are opened, forcing an amplified rush of air over the viewer’s face and body, amplifying a direct physical relationship with the environment and creating the wind’s own sound patterns.

This process causes a resonant deep sound as the inner and outer frame meet. It marks the point of the viewer’s commitment, and also acts as a point of notification to others in the surrounding landscape.

— MSA-Gruff

Models: