Floralis Genérica facts for kids

The Floralis Genérica is a giant metal flower sculpture. You can find it in Plaza de las Naciones Unidas in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This amazing artwork was a gift to the city from the Argentine architect Eduardo Catalano. He created it in 2002. Catalano wanted the flower to represent all flowers and the idea of new hope each day.

What makes this sculpture special is that it moves! It was designed to close its petals at night and open them again in the morning, just like a real flower. The sculpture is in the middle of a large park. Paths lead up to it, giving you different views. It also sits above a reflecting pool, which looks beautiful and helps protect the sculpture. The flower is made of stainless steel with an aluminum frame and concrete inside. It weighs 18 tons and stands 23 meters (about 75 feet) tall.

How the Flower Opens and Closes

One of the coolest things about the Floralis Genérica is its special electrical system. This system makes the petals open and close automatically. Every night, the flower closes up. When it's closed, a red light glows from inside, making it look magical. Then, the next morning, it reopens. This is what Catalano meant by "reborn" each day. The system also closes the flower if there are very strong winds to keep it safe.

The flower usually opens at 8 AM each morning. It closes at sunset, so the closing time changes throughout the year depending on the season. When the sculpture was first opened, its petals had some technical problems and couldn't close. These issues were fixed about two months later.

There are four special nights when the petals stay open all night long: May 25th, September 21st, December 24th, and December 31st.

The artist, Eduardo Catalano, explained the name. Floralis means "belonging to flowers." Genérica means "of a general type." So, the name Floralis Genérica means it represents all the flowers in the world.

In 2010, the electronic system that made the flower move was turned off. This was to prevent damage to the sculpture. It stayed open all the time until 2015. The problem was that one of the petals was not installed correctly when it was first built. The company that built it had given a long warranty. Luckily, the moving mechanism was fixed and working again by June 2015.

Size of the Floralis Genérica

Here are some interesting facts about the sculpture's size:

• It is 23 meters (about 75 feet) high.
• Its diameter (how wide it is):
  • When its petals are closed, it is 26 meters (about 85 feet) wide.
  • When its petals are open, it spreads out to 32 meters (about 105 feet) wide.
• The reflecting pool around it has a diameter of 44 meters (about 144 feet).

See also

In Spanish: Floralis Genérica para niños