Solar Gate - Hull, UK
Posted by: 
dtrebilc
N 53° 44.686 W 000° 20.198
30U E 675629 N 5958416
This 10 meter tall sculpture consists of a lace like structure and a series of history plates in the ground.
Waymark Code: WM14N2Y
Location: Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/30/2021
Views: 0
The sculpture acts as an unusual form of sundial. Instead of acting as a timepiece whenever the sun is out, it only works on 16 specific days and times.
The sun illuminates the structure continuously but there are 16 specific angles where a shaft of sunlight penetrates the structure and falls on one of the 16 date markers on the ground.
Each of the date markers represents the date on which significant important events occurred in history, some of particular relevance to Hull itself.
The main date of importance is 23rd April 1642. King Charles I was denied entry into Hull three times, by the governor Sir John Hotham. Hull’s act of defiance was regarded as a key event in the English Civil War that lead to the fall of the monarchy.
Some key dates, not specific to Hull, relate to the sun and sunlight...
15th March 1021 - Ibnall Haytham 'father of optics; proves light travels in a straigh line.
24th May 1543 - Nicolas Copernicus proclaims all planests orbit the sun and not the earth.
22nd June 1633 - Galileo Galilei imprisoned for defending Heliocentrism.
15th July 1734 - Virhat Samrat Yantra giant sundial measures time to two second precision.
The structure is lit at night to form an attractive centre point to Queen's Gardens in the city centre.
Title: Solar Gate
Artist: Tonkin Liu
Media (materials) used: Sheet Metal
Location (specific park, transit center, library, etc.): Queen;s Gardens
Date of creation or placement: 2017
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