Martin Smith

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Title: Pin Cascade (clock).

Year: 2009-2012 (Unrealised Project)

Site: Verona Tower, Tower Works, Leeds, UK.

Partners: MAAP, Bauman Lyons Architects and Yorkshire Forward.

Description: Initial proposal and mechanical maquette for a binary multiplier clock that will be constantly moving and will perform a cascade of "pins" on the hour.

Starting at the bottom and travelling horizontally along the row, one pin is pushed and remains out for each second. After each 60 seconds a larger pin is pushed out to signify the minute. These rows of pins build up the side of the Verona Tower until all 3600 pins (1 hour) are out. They then quickly reset starting at the top, creating a cascade down the face of the tower. Each hour will be shown along another row of even larger "pins".

The site is steeped in industrial history and distinguished by three chimneys, built as Italianesque towers by ambitious nineteenth century industrialists. The towers are visible by train-passengers approaching Leeds from the south. The competition ran by the Regional Development Agency Yorkshire Forward, called for a commercially viable exemplar of sustainable mixed-use urban development that tackles the issues of Climate Change and provides a learning ‘log’ for others.

Text courtesy of Bauman Lyons Architects.