Mascaro Water Wall
Biomedical Science Tower 3 , University of Pittsburgh |
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This fascinating sculpture was built by Bunting for the University of Pittsburgh's new Biomedical Science Tower 3. It is at first glance a series of 14 perforated stainless steel tubes placed in the entryway of a new high-rise research facility.
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The intent of the sculpture was to create an identifiable landmark that would serve as a thematic entry point to the building. Each of the fourteen poles represents a genome. (The genome of an organism is a complete DNA sequence of one set of chromosomes.)
By day, water streams up through the center of the tubes and cascades over their surface, collecting in a stainless steel trough set into the base of the building. The flow of water is completely automated and employs a wind sensor to shut off the water if heavy winds develop.
By night, An internal fiber optic lighting system glows through the perforations in the core pipes, highlighting different colored sections of each pillar. |
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Modeled after the genome of the laboratory mouse, each pillar represents a single chromosome, and the unique staining patterns of regions of the mouse DNA are depicted as colored bands. Because of its close genetic and physiologic similarities to humans, the laboratory mouse has developed into an essential mammalian model system used to study the cardiovascular, endocrine, skeletal, immune, nervous and other organ systems. The mouse is used extensively in biomedical research to analyze the roles of genes in normal development and in models of many important human diseases, enabling the creation of new diagnostic tools and treatments for modern medicine.
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| Detail of water drainage system in metal trough. |
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| Detail of the expertly constructed stainless steel tube structure. |
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| The sculpture comes alive at night when fully illuminated. |
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