There was a time when I was driving between LA and SF quite often, and one of the only bright spots in an otherwise monotonous and scene-less drive were the wind turbines off of interstate 580.
Coming up into the Bay Area you see these giant alien-like creatures, giant flowers with petals spinning gracefully in the wind, like an army keeping watch over the valley. And you get a sense of the immense power of nature, the presence of something geater than yourself.
While the simplicity and functionality of their design is partly what makes these turbines so beautiful, it could be interesting to mix it up a little. Architect Tonkin Liu designed these wind powered metallic flowers and I thought it would be pretty amazing to come across these in an open field, especially at night when the speed of the wind triggers LED lights to illuminate the petals. It's these little things that make me happy, and it's comforting to think that there is a place for good design everywhere in this world.
photos via locks park farm and contemporist