HILL COUNTRY TO FEEL ENERGY: A Journey Sparking a Intuitive Sense on Renewables in Hill Country Landscape

Project idea

The year 2021’s recession laid bare the vulnerabilities of Sri Lanka’s unsustainable energy system, prompting a call for energy transition. Recognizing the country’s vast potential for renewable energy, the project promotes creating an intuitive sense within the community through a landscape experience as energy experience, achieving a stepping stone in the journey to the transition.

The project contexts Ambewela, Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka, with the scenery of a existing wind farm embedded in a rolling terrain, which act as a ‘landscape statement’ that transcends its function to become a powerful symbol of future energy consumption and has a visitor attraction, also a catalyst for igniting intuitive sense on energy.

The focused view and the memorable experiential journey, generate a sense on renewable energy encouraging energy conservation and the wise use of energy in life sustaining systems. The project is a story waiting to be told, a story where the wind whispers promises of a brighter future, and the landscape becomes a canvas to create a sense toward renewable energy.

Project description

The project composed of three zones, to create a memorable, immersive energy landscape experience. Zone 01; Exploration area, allows the users to merge with the landscape which is a composition of energies and allows to feel the power of wind energy. In zone 02; Immersion Area, it offers an interactive environment allowing users to interact and learn on energy generation principles and concepts trough curiosity by the immersive energy activities. Finally zone 03; Contemplation Area, provide opportunity to reflection and celebration, being admits the huge wind towers and commemorate the renewable energy success stories, reflecting reliability of renewable energy and learn the science behind energy generation. This progression aims to inspire visitors and create a intuitive sense within users on renewable energy.

Technical information

The project conceptualizes the wind as a dynamic, adaptable force that unveils the hidden energy layer. By focusing on wind-generated power as a symbol of strength, stability, and life's foundation, the design employs timber and concrete to represent the contrasting yet dynamic interplay of forces in nature, harmonizing the existing strong, giant wind towers in the green plain and highlighting the power of nature as a source of renewable energy. The thoughtful combination of these materials, creates a space that is both visually striking and symbolically powerful creating a layered experience that reveals the hidden power and beauty of nature aligning perfectly with the renewable energy focus.