Zephyrometer

41°18′43″S 174°47′46″E

Zephyrometer
Artist	Phil Price
Type	Kinetic art
Location	Wellington, New Zealand

The Zephyrometer is a public sculpture by Phil Price in Evans Bay, Wellington. The work was installed in 2003.[1][2] It is a kinetic sculpture consisting of a concrete cylinder holding a 26 metres (85 ft) tall needle which sways to show wind direction and speed. It is sited on Cobham Drive to make use of Wellington's wind.[3] The Zephyrometer was damaged by lightning on August 14, 2014.

Zephyrometer was the second of five major wind sculptures commissioned by the Wellington Sculpture Trust over the period 2000 – 2010, which now make up the Meridian Wind Sculpture Walk. The work has attracted international interest, and is a beloved local landmark.[3]

Lightning strike

On 14 August 2014 at approximately 2:30 pm, the Zephyrometer was struck by lightning during a hail storm, leaving the tip of the sculpture frayed. A spokesman for Wellington City Council confirmed that the "needle" is "completely stuffed".[4] Video of the actual lightning strike itself was captured by Solomon Emet and is viewable on YouTube [1]. The sculpture was restored on May 13, 2015, [5][6] but the new needle was composed of a lighter material which caused the sculpture to bend very low in extremely windy conditions.[7] Additional weight had to be added to the counterbalance.[8]

• 
  Lightning damage on Zephyrometer
• 
  Damage on tip
• 
  Damage near gimbal
• 
  Damage near gimbal (close-up)
• 
  Lowest exit point (close-up)

See also

• Wind Wand
• Halo (artwork)

References

1. "New sculpture to gauge Wellington's wind". Wellington City Council. 10 November 2003. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 17 July 2007.
2. Boyd, Sarah (24 July 2004). "Out there". The Dominion Post. pp. E5.
3. Elliott, Sue (15 January 2023). "A journey of sculpture along Wellington's windy Cobham Drive". Stuff. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
4. "Sculpture struck by lightning". Dominion Post. 14 August 2014. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
5. "Stricken Wellington Zephyrometer resurrected". Dominion Post. 13 May 2015. Archived from the original on 15 October 2019. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
6. "Wellington zephyrometer resurrected after lightning strike". New Zealand Herald. 13 May 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
7. "Wellington wind wand blown to within 1 metre of busy road". Stuff. 1 December 2015. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
8. "Wellington.scoop.co.nz » Evans Bay's Zephyrometer re-balanced and moving again". Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.

External links

• Zephyrometer official page from the Wellington Sculpture Trust
• Zephyrometer pictures at Flickr
• Lightning Strikes Wellington Zephyrometer – video of the 2014 lightning strike captured by Solomon Emet on YouTube.