Ready for an outstanding panorama view and something that looks like „OMG, aliens have landed their spaceship on the Faroe Islands and left their command center organ behind“, at least from a distance? Let me take you to the very south of Eysturoy. We drive past Runavík, head for the Neshagi wind mile park and start to look around. Over there, that’s the northern tip of Nólsoy. On the other side of the fiord: the Faroese capital, Tórshavn’s silhouette. In the meantime, right in front of us: this unusual something.
Metal pipes, upon closer examination, set up in a circle, surrounding a wooden bench. Obviously some kind of observation point and sound sculpture all at once. Maybe you have read my piece about architect Eyðun Eliasen, his company EYA and the fantastic home he has built for himself and his family in Tórshavn. It is exactly this extraordinary Wind Shelter in front of us that made me aware of his work in the first place. And that’s the Wind Shelter’s story.
After a wind turbine got knocked down by a storm, EYA was asked to come up with a suggestion concerning the wind turbine’s foundation, which was supposed to play a brand-new role. In July 2014, a remarkable object was put up in the open countryside, made of stainless steel, the highest pipe facing north; the entrance, on the other hand, directly south.
Depending on conditions such as wind speeds and wind directions, the construction turns into a futuristic organ, generating various tones, due to pipes of different sizes. In good weather, however, the stainless steel reflects shafts of sunlight, provoking sparkling lighthouse-associations. The Wind Shelter: a multi-talent. Off the beaten track and a wonderful place.
Instruction manual for my video: As soon as I put the camera into the pipes, turn up the volume to get an idea of the organ’s sound.
My Faroe Islands' video: https://vimeo.com/200005900
EYA is on the net and on Facebook
Wind mile park at Neshaga: Energy supplier SEV
My piece about Eyðun Eliasen’s home: Poetic architecture