Wind responsive architectural illumination of the new £8.9m Plas Heli National Sailing Academy designed by Ellis Williams Architects. 2015

The building incorporates dynamic, energy efficient LED lighting that changes colour and brightness in reaction to wind strength and direction. The project takes inspiration from the colours used in the Beaufort Scale - the system used to measure wind strength, essential for sailors across the world. A wind meter mounted onto the roof of the sailing centre provides data to the lights in the main hall, transforming the building at night into a beacon in the landscape, visible for miles.

The project also featured a specially designed projection mapping installation onto sailing boats, which included images of Pwllheli’s sailing heritage, past and present, contributed by the community.

“It’s great to see people’s reaction to the lighting changing colour; people are calling this the largest anemometer in the world! We hadn’t thought of it like that....”

The Sailing Academy has been awarded a BREEAM Excellent accreditation for its approach to green and sustainable technologies. The project also won the RSAW Welsh Architecture Award 2016.

The dramatic artwork scheme, funded by the Arts Council for Wales, is an eye-catching addition to the £8.9 million National Sailing Academy and Events Centre designed by Ellis Williams Architects, which has been built with support from the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government and Gwynedd Council. 2015