Skip to content
Entertainment
Link copied to clipboard

Philadelphia is getting a nearly 3,000 square foot Shimmer Wall on The Parkway

Ned Kahn's Shimmer Wall is being installed on the new Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion. Photo from EarthCam.
Ned Kahn's Shimmer Wall is being installed on the new Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion. Photo from EarthCam.Read more

As soon as June of next year, expect to see Ned Kahn's massive Shimmer Wall installation draping the new Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion, a 53,000 square foot addition to The Franklin Institute.

The Shimmer Wall is as enchanting as it sounds. It creates a visual representation of the sky, wind, and other natural elements

How does it work? From The Franklin Institute:

Kahn's Shimmer Wall is a network of 12,500 five-inch-square clear-anodized aluminum panels hinged at one side only and able to freely move in the wind. During the day, the ever-changing wind pressure profile on the building will appear as undulating waves. At night, this movement will be converted into a very subtle light.  In addition to revealing the changing patterns of the wind, the artwork boasts some environmental benefits, mainly the lack of direct energy use.  

You can check the installation's progress live on The Franklin Institute's EarthCam. See the attached gallery for more of Ned Kahn's shimmery walls.