Internationally acclaimed artist and designer Michael Jantzen designed the Sun Rays Pavilion, which consists of 12 massive columns that rise out of the earth like giant crystals reaching for the sun. Appropriate, because the acutely slanted building relies on the sun’s rays alone for power. Jantzen has many other designs for renewable energy pavilions, like his Wind Turbine Observation Tower or his R-house.

From Michael Jantzen:

‘The Sun Rays Pavilion is designed to celebrate the return of the rays of the sun each day to the surface of the earth. It will be approximately 150 feet tall, 250 feet long, and 130 feet wide. The structure will be made of twelve precast concrete rectangular columns, which symbolically represent the rays of the sun. At the ends of each column, facing south, there will be a large (20 by 26 foot) glazed area coated with a photovoltaic film. This film allows filtered light down into the structure while generating the electricity needed to power the pavilion as well as sending surplus energy into the local power grid. On the north side of the pavilion, there will be five large glass sections with doors that ventilate the structure.’