Thomas Sayre

Cree Shimmer Wall, 2009
210' wide x 44' high
Aluminum, steel, programmable LEDs

Collection of the City of Raleigh with funds provided by Cree

Shimmer Wall is a 9,284-square-foot piece of art adorning the west side of the Raleigh Convention Center. This spectacular piece is made up of 79,464 light and dark aluminum square pixels that change shape and disappear as the squares flap in the wind.

The design team, including artistic inventor Ned Kahn, worked to put the thousands of 4-inch by 4-inch aluminum pixels hinged on louvers to allow for free motion on 4-foot by 4-foot grids. To aid nighttime "shimmering," the design team chose to backlight the wall with 56 LED fixtures from Cree, which have a lifespan of 15 years. The LED colors vary depending on the season or celebration.

The wall depicts an image of an oak tree and has become a symbol for Raleigh, the City of Oaks. 

This entry is about Public Art in Raleigh. You can find more entries about Raleigh's Public Art Collection here.