Transmaterial: Órgano

Image courtesy of Transmaterial

Órgano is a sculpture designed by the Spanish artist Eusebio Sempere and built in Madrid, Spain.Composed of a three-dimensional array of polished stainless steel pipes, the installation rotates to filter and reflect sunlight dynamically.

Recently, researchers at the Institute of Materials Science in Madrid tested the acoustic properties of the sculpture, and found that Órgano also behaves as a phononic crystal capable of filtering and modifying sound waves. Listeners positioned on one side of the installation will hear tonal modifications of sounds projected from the opposite side—an aural analogy to the visual effect of light passing through colored prisms. Scientists at the Transport Research Laboratory in the UK are currently researching the application of Sempere’s geometry to reduce noise along rail networks and roadways.