Arch of Time

Uniting the Celestial and the Terrestrial

Arch of Time is a Land Art Generator artwork, a triumphal arch set in a public park in Houston. It has eleven apertures that cast a beam of light and tell the time of day and seasons like a sundial. The south face is clad in solar modules and generates 400,000 kWh of clean electricity each year. The image shows children playing in the grass foreground and people standing in the shade of the artwork.

Arch of Time

A Monument to Houston’s Leadership in Culture & Energy

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Arch of Time in Houston is a Land Art Generator artwork by Riccardo Mariano for Mason Park.

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About the Artist

Powering the Park

Incorporating custom solar photovoltaic modules into the south-facing exterior of the sculpture, it will generously give 400,000 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually—enough to power the park!

A Sundial

Visitors to the Arch of Time will witness a meticulously orchestrated casting of sunlight as a performance onto the ground plane throughout each day under 25,000 square feet of shaded, breeze-filled microclimate.

Arch of Time is a monument to Houston’s leadership in culture and energy.

It is a new permanent public artwork for Mason Park in Houston by Riccardo Mariano. Incorporating more than 60,000 functioning solar photovoltaic cells into the south-facing exterior of the sculpture, it will generously give 400,000 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually to power the park — equivalent to the demand of Mason Park. It will also provide 25,000 square feet of shaded, breeze-filled microclimate.

Functioning as a sundial, The Arch is also an interactive time-measuring device that creates a connection between the celestial and the terrestrial by means of a meticulously orchestrated casting of sunlight as a performance art onto the ground plane throughout each day. Each beam of light is uniquely composed through the seasons and hours of the day by the geometry of the artwork, which responds to the Earth’s rotation and the specific latitude and longitude of Houston.

  • The Story

    The Story

    The artwork was originally conceived by Riccardo Mariano as an entry to the LAGI 2019 Abu Dhabi design competition for Masdar City. In 2021,…

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  • Education

    Education

    STEM education that also centers the arts — STEAM — has been shown to be an effective means to expand access and excellence in…

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  • Energy

    Energy

    The Arch of Time will stand as a monument to sustainability. It will be the first public art project of its scale and visibility…

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  • Experience

    Experience

    Incorporating more than 60,000 functioning solar photovoltaic cells into the south-facing exterior of the sculpture, it will generously give 400,000 kilowatt-hours of clean electricity…

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  • Community Engagement

    Community Engagement

    Community Engagement Arch of Time commits to engaging community through a variety of events and forums that connect with representative audiences and foster thoughtful…

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  • Economic Impact

    Economic Impact

    Economic Impact As a major cultural landmark, the Arch will attract local, national, and international tourists. The artwork will attract conference hosts and participants.…

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