Atmospheric Lighthouse is a visual interface between the city and its environment, a visualization of the interaction between the atmosphere and the city. As the wind blows fresh air into the streets, it carries dust and sand from the desert, moisture from the sea, or cool air from the mountains, linking the city with places hundreds of kilometers away. The flow of air creates an Urban Canyon Effect as it bounces off and around high buildings. It absorbs the particles created by burning fossil fuels and carries them out of the city. This complex interaction between airflow and the built environment is largely invisible but fundamental to urban life.
Atmospheric Lighthouse captures and analyzes real-time atmospheric data to visualize the flow of air around the skin of Torre Glòries using a 43 x 120 pixel grid. Wind speed and direction result in ever-changing patterns, while measurements of CO2, small particles (PM10, PM2.5), and NOx affect the color of the air flows.