“Aluna is the perfect landmark to represent London and the nation in 2012 because it unites people on a global and local level. It will provide a shared public space for the people of East London and act as a beautiful reminder of our maritime history.”
Jim Fitzpatrick MP, Poplar and Canning Town
Since finishing studying at Central St Martin’s College London in 2002, Laura Williams has been working to develop the Aluna project. Aluna is described as ‘the world’s first tidal powered moon clock’. It will be a 40 metre diameter dynamic public light art installation utilising LEDs programmed to follow the patterns and phases of the moon and tides. The installation will consist of three rings representing the different cycles of the moon. These will be constructed from steel clad in recycled glass panels and will be powered by renewable tidal energy technology.
Since Aluna’s inception the project has evolved from purely an eco-cultural art installation into an entire regeneration project to include a sustainable education centre, public gardens and community facilities with a proposed site at the mouth of the River Lea (the gateway to the 2012 Olympics) at East India Dock Basin, Orchard Place, London E14.
If the project gains financial and political support, the proposed development provides the opportunity to act as a powerful legacy project after the Olympics. It will bring new facilities to the local London Boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets and provide a sustainable education centre for London and the UK as a whole.
Aluna is intended as a project aimed at people of all ages and from all walks of life. It will be a multicultural project and is already endorsed by key figures from scientists such as Richard Dawkins and Lord Martin Rees (the Astronomer Royal and President of the Royal Society) to cultural and community leaders such as Baroness Lola Young and Dr Usama Hasan (from The City Circle and Lecturer in Astronomy at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich) together with organisations such as the Three Faiths Forum, the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, Wales and the Greater London Authority. It has also attracted support from both sides of the UK political spectrum from Nicky Gavron (London Assembly member and former Deputy Mayor of the GLA) to Boris Johnson, Mayor of London.
The purpose of the Aluna development is to act as a catalyst to connect all people and provide a much needed facility to meet, talk, learn and think about how to make our world more sustainable. The proposed project will currently provide exhibition and meeting spaces, conference, education and research facilities, performance and retail spaces, external gardens and displays of renewable energy technologies. The renewable energy technologies will help to provide energy for the site and the surrounding area and allow people to learn and understand about what these technologies can offer Britain today and in the future.
Currently, star environmental architects Edward Cullinan Architects are working alongside the Aluna team to provide concept designs for the eco-cultural centre and the project as a whole, with proposals already having been presented to Lee Valley Regional Park Authority. Cullinan has a long established history in designing sustainable buildings and has previously worked on projects such as the Stirling Prize winning Downland Gridshell Centre. They should therefore be well placed to provide a sensitive low or ‘zero energy’ design as appropriate for such a development.
Starting from small beginnings with initial studies of phases and cycles of the moon, Laura Williams and the Aluna team have managed to take a public light art project into the realms of a complete regeneration development which has the potential to offer significant benefit to local communities and London as a whole. This says a great deal about the drive and motivation of the team but also about the power of the initial Aluna concept and its ability to inspire.
“Aluna is easily among the most exciting new projects and major visitor attractions for London’s Thames… symbolic of the vision for East London and the Thames Gateway as an exciting place to live and work. I am very keen that all of us who are interested in the tidal Thames will find a way to realise the fundraising and construction of this beautiful project.”
Terry Farrell, Architect ad Thames Gateway Masterplanner
“The Aluna project has the potential to develop further people’s understanding of the critical issues of our time, climate change, renewable energy and regeneration. Being located in the Thames Gateway regeneration area, it would be important symbolically as well as being a further catalyst for change…This is an exciting project to be associated with and we hope now that others will share this enthusiasm and the Aluna vision.”
Gavin McAlpine, Managing Partner, Renewable Energy Systems, Sir Robert McAlpine Group
Hopefully in the future, support willing, Aluna will be able to act as an inspirational symbol and a positive beacon for sustainable education and development in London and around the world.

www.alunatime.org