Ultramodern Solar “Energy Roof” Powers Italian Gallery

At first glance, it looks like something out of the ’80s sci-fi classic, Flight of the Navigator, in which a small boy hitches an adventurous ride on a sleek, curvaceous and shiny flying saucer. That film was released some 24 years ago, and I can’t help but wonder if its imaginative creators could have foreseen technological, architectural achievements the likes of the “Energy Roof” now gracing Perugia, Italy.

It won’t fly to outer space (although it looks like it could), but it does simultaneously harness wind and solar power to provide electricity to a gallery below, a gallery that explores Perugia’s many archeological sites. The roof serves as a grand entrance to the underground public gallery. There, visitors may be educated about the long history of the ancient Etruscan town. The project, designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au, stems from the University of Perugia’s desire to educate residents about local history and provide clean energy for the gallery and excavation site below.

The west side of the futuristic canopy is covered with transparent solar cells situated strategically to maximize solar energy collection. The east “wing” incorporates five wind turbines that collect energy as wind blows across rooftops in the city, funneling right through the Energy Roof. The Roof is as much urban sculpture as energy generator and, to say the least, stands out among the historic buildings with which it shares sunlight and wind. But the Energy Roof doesn’t just stand in the wind and sunlight; it creates energy from them, making it a leading example of how cities and architects can combine function with fancy to provide clean, renewable power.

Via Inhabitat