Aristides Demetrios’ Wind Harp
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Before I got here, I assumed incorrectly that there would be some kind of wires that the wind would pass through and make to sing. But upon arrival, I found the whole thing is basically just steel girders. Definitely a bit sophisticated. Timing this for a windy day is the trick though. It helps that the sculpture is atop a hill, but mild zephyrs are no good, you need gusts.
An annoying bit is that there are some noisy compressors nearby: One at the base of the path up, and another at a rooftop nearer the Wind Harp. Definitely detracts from the auditory experience. Here’s my best attempt at recording. My microphone isn’t the best in the wind, though.
There is a sign at the entrance to the park with a picture of some irises that reads:
South San Francisco
HISTORIC SITE
On this site
CABOT CABOT & FORBES TOWER
1967
Aristides Demetries, one of America’s best known sculptors, created this steel sculpture as a symbol of Cabot Cabot & Forbes Industrial Park. Situated 243 feet above sea level, it rises to a height of 94 feet and can be seen from the Bay Bridge, the East Bay, and San Francisco International Airport. Called “the Wind Tower” locally. Places under the auspices of the South San Francisco
Historical Society and Historical Preservation Commission
And at the base of the tower is a plaque that reads:
WIND HARP
Artists: Lucia and Aristides Demetrios
Dedicated by Cabot, Cabot and Forbes March 28, 1967
Acquired by City of South San Francisco 1996
Re-Dedicated March 28, 1997
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS 1992-1997
James Datzman Gus Nicolopulos
Jack Drago John Penna
Joseph Fernekes Roberta Teglia
Eugene Mullin Robert Yee
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Ted Bartell Victor Feudale
Jose de Larios Jake Jones
CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION
Glenda Ali Shirley Nichols
Ronald Burgess Elizabeth Nisperos
Patricia Burke Margaret Pierson
Dennis Crossland Elsie Pollastrini
Barbara Dematter Anne Waters
Alicia Gonzales Joy Ann Wandler
Karyl Matsumote Susan Yau
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Genentech Inc.
Cabot Cabot & Forbes in the 1960s was a national real estate developer. It seems nowadays they are confined to New England and the surrounding area is almost completely ruled by Genentech. Also note that the plaque is the only evidence that Lucia Demetrios contributed to the project. She however is a metalworker, and now apparently goes by the surname of Eames
If you like alternate-energy powered sculptures that make sounds, be sure to check out the nearby Wave Organ and Earth Song Tuning Fork.
| Nearest Airport | SFO, OAK |
| Street Address | Grandview Drive |
| Cross-Street | Cabot Road |
| Secondary Cross-Street | DNA Way |
| Neighborhood | Point San Bruno Knoll / Genentech Campus |
| City | South San Francisco |
| County, Parish, or Township | San Mateo County |
| State, Province, or Region | California |
| Country | USA |
| ZIP or Postal Code | 94080-4920 |
| Latitude | 37.65398 degrees |
| Longitude | -122.38513 degrees |
| Public Transit Information | Closest is South San Francisco Caltrain station. |
| Parking | free parking on Grandview, except 03:00-05:00. |
| Contact E-mail Address | arisdemetrios@aol.com |
| Contact Telephone | 1-805-565-2217 |
| Contact Fax | 1-805-565-7721 |
| Official Website | http://www.demetriossculpture.com/publics/pages1/cg_WindHarp.htm |
| Related Website | http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/baytrail/vtour/map2/access/OystrPt/SAMTrans-SanBrunoPoint.htm#WindHarp |
| Admission Price | free |
| Hours | 24/7 |
| Vegan Dining Options | No food served |
| Wheelchair Access | A gate blocks the way to wheelchairs. |
| Potential Hazards | none |
| Special Events at Attraction | None known |
| Best Thing to See or Do Here | I like the eerie sounds, and the fact that without the wind, one would have no idea this is an instrument. |
| Last Visited | January 2006 |
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June 9th, 2006 at 04:03:58 -0400
[…] The aeolian harp is a musical instruments played by the movement of wind across its strings. It was invented, or at least perfected, by Father Kircher. A collection of massive public aeolian harps can be seen here. From left to right above are The Wind Pavilion in Zanesville, Ohio; the Wind Antenna, a temporary work built in New York City in 1982, consisting of an aluminum parabolic dish that functioned as a resonator; and the Wind Bow in Lewiston, New York, 60 stainless steel strings strung between a steel pole and a laminated wood arc. And below, the Aristides Demetrios Wind Harp of San Francisco: […]