Thursday, October 4

Those magnificent men and their flying machines

© Jean-Dominique Billaud
I think, by now, that it is no secret that I am a geek.

Momma is too, so imagine our delight when we spotted this fantastique French carousel while reading one of our favorite blogs, Epbot.

Les Machines de I’île (The Machines of the Isle of Nantes) is a blend of the invented worlds of Jules Verne, the mechanical universe of Leonardo da Vinci, and the industrial history of Nantes, France on the site of the former shipyards.

Open to the public since July 1, 2007, the project of Machines de I'île in Nantes aims to promote city's image and tries to build an identity as a creative metropolis of dream and of fantasy.

The Great Elephant (2007) is 12 meters high and 8 meters wide, made from 45 tons of wood and steel. It can take up to 49 passengers for a 45-minute walk!

The Marine Worlds Carousel (2012) is a huge carousel, rising nearly 25 meters high and measuring 20 meters in diameter. It features 35 moving underwater creatures on three levels: the ocean floor, the depths, and sea and boats. Visitors will be able to move about amidst a ballet of aquatic animals (The squid! The sea dragon!) and sea carriages, as well as climb aboard and guide the movements of the Machines.

The Heron Tree (2014) is a steel structure of 45 meters in diameter and 28 meters in height, topped with two herons. The project plans to allow visitors to climb either onto the back or onto the wings of the birds for a circular flight over the hanging gardens of the tree.

Momma can only dream of going.

But as for Moi....


No comments:

Post a Comment