SYNCHRONICITY 2009*
Jakub Szczęsny and Bęc Zmiana Foundation present THE ISLAND - a floating platform, which holds nine pieces of training equipment placed around a small trough with purified water flowing from cisterns with filters placed above it. The water is pumped straight into the Vistula river by kinetic pumps fuelled by the muscle power of persons using the equipment.
The platform is connected with land by a wheelchair-accessible gang-plank that is closed at night. The platform is lit by LED lights, thanks to which it serves as a sign even after dark, when it is closed.
THE ISLAND entered the Semi-Final of The Buckminster Fuller Challenge, the competition organised every year by The Buckminster Institute in New York to select and popularise projects that have the future potential to solve humanity’s most pressing problems. All semi-final projects are included into the research programme of the Institute and the winner is awarded a 100 000 $ grant to support the development and implementation of the project.
Full list of Semi-Finalists available >> here
About The Buckminster Fuller Challenge read >> here
At the same time, preparations are carried out in Warsaw to implement the project on an experimental basis. The device purifies water only owing to the effort of the city dwellers who are willing to obtain clean water from the Vistula – it is powered by training machines installed on the platform.
*The project was carried out in 2009 as a part of the Synchronicity 2 festival, realised with financial support of the City of Warsaw. It is covered heavily in the media abroad, not only those devoted to architecture and design, but also those concerned with ecology and responsible business.