Nano Plaza at the Engineering Building Courtyard, University of Texas, San Antonio, is an assembly of sculptures whose forms are derived from images of nanotechnology. Here art takes liberty with scientific imagery and changes its scale to make the infinitesimally small nano world palpable at the scale of the Engineering Building Courtyard. Two 14 foot-tall stainless steel Nano Lights whose walls imitate the structure of nanoparticles flank the entry of the courtyard framing a view of the Nano Ball Fountain at the end of a tree-lined alley. Stainless steel and mahogany benches on the alley share their structure with the Nano Lights, while the Nano Ball Fountain is energized by recycled water from the complex’s chillers creating a flow over its surface. Together the sculptural elements of the courtyard create an engaging place whose sense of containment and scale create a campus gathering spot which is informed by the research of faculty and staff in the surrounding buildings.
