The Sea Organ – Zadar
The Sea Organ installation combines architecture and nature. It is a unique and innovative way of using the energy of the sea to create music. Together with the Monument to the Sun, they became the new landmarks of Zadar and Croatia.
They are located on the western part of the Zadar waterfront near Monument to the Sun. The sound of the organ is created under the influence of waves and tides. The Sea Organ was inaugurated on April 15, 2005.
The author of the Sea Organ is architect Nikola Bašić, and the co-authors are Ivica Stamać for sound, Vladimir Andročec for the hydraulics, and the Heferer organ workshop for the design and tuning of the pipes.
The Sea Organ stretches for 75 meters in the western part of the Zadar waterfront. The organ is a series of wide stone steps that lead to the sea, and 35 pipes are installed under them. The tubes produce various tones because of different lengths, diameters, and pitches. When waves hit the shore, they force air through the tubes, creating a unique and ever-changing melody.
Acoustician and musician Ivica Stamać composed seven sound clusters of 2 major chords (G and C6) that change in scale. The choice of tones and chords was made on the musical matrix of a klapa song.
In order to maintain the sound quality, the stainless steel pipes are cleaned every three years.
In May 2006, architect Nikola Bašić won the European Award for Urban Public Space for the Sea Organ project in Zadar.
Location
Zadar
Zadar is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar serves as the seat of Zadar County and of the wider northern Dalmatian region. The city proper covers 25 km2 (9.7 sq mi) with a population of 71,000 in 2025, making it the second-largest city of the region of Dalmatia and the fifth-largest city in the country.
ExploreContemporary
Contemporary architecture is the architecture of the 21st century. No single style is dominant. Contemporary architects work in several different styles, from postmodernism, high-tech architecture and new references and interpretations of traditional architecture to highly conceptual forms and designs, resembling sculpture on an enormous scale. Some of these styles and approaches make use of very advanced technology and modern building materials, such as tube structures which allow construction of buildings that are taller, lighter and stronger than those in the 20th century, while others prioritize the use of natural and ecological materials like stone, wood and lime. One technology that is common to all forms of contemporary architecture is the use of new techniques of computer-aided design, which allow buildings to be designed and modeled on computers in three dimensions, and constructed with more precision and speed.
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