In the early hours of this morning (Australian time), the King Abdullah University for Science & Technology (KAUST) in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, held its inauguration.

The event also saw the launch of the Urban Art Projects’ (UAP) ‘Breakwater Beacon’ – a 60-metre-tall tower overlooking the Safaa harbour and the Red Sea.

A feat of engineering, the tower is part of an international arts program curated by UAP. Designed by UAP Principal, Daniel Tobin the Beacon is a “contemporary interpretation of a lighthouse” with a intricate construction made up of ‘amorphous hexagonal’ pre-cast concrete blocks.’¨’¨

“It’s a very complex structure, we had two engineering teams working on it to solve the difficulties of construction,” Tobin explains.

Inside this impressive sculptural form the ‘patterned’ external skin creates a dynamic light play and provides a place for communal gatherings.

The program of installations also includes work by Swedish artist, Carsten Höller, London-based Richard Deacon as well as Australian artist Erwin Redl.

The Australian-based UAP are gaining increasing international attention with a range of site-specific art installations working hand in hand with some of the world’s most engaging new architecture and landscapes.

UAP are currently working on an arts program for the Shanghai World Expo 2010.

uap.com.au

kaust.edu.sa