When do Peanuts get Ripe?

“Ten miles west, ripe rice, hibiscus flowers, hedgerows, tall bamboos, and green and yellow fruits.”

ConflictIts said that everything can be sunned in China. Sun valley, a traditional way to dry grain and fruit for better storage, is very common in China countryside where grain dryers are still not popularized. On a sunny day, farmers will disperse the ripe grain on a large flat ground, whether these be peanuts, sesame, chili, corn, or wheat. For them, this nostalgic behavior is a symbol of harvest with the mood of gaiety and good living.

However, lots of farmers use the road as a paddy field for sun valley to gain a larger sunning area, causing serious traffic and safety issue. When you driving on a country road, this might not be a pleasant view to catch.

ProposalA tunnel of light is proposed to settle the conflict. Shaping like rippling wheat in the fields, the light tunnel is constructed by cables and two ductile steel plates. Grain on the upper plate reflect the sunlight which is then directed by the vault, goes underneath, dyeing the whole tunnel with the color of grain. As different grains get ripe at different time of the year, the shift of the color allows people in the passing vehicles underneath to sense the change with the passage of seasons, and consequently, to share the gaiety of harvest with local farmers.

Imagine you were a city commuter travelling across the countryside, when you drive through the tunnel, you may ask yourself “ When do peanuts get ripe? ”