The Ring rises as a powerful symbol of unity and welcome gateway to Silicon Valley. Measuring 400 feet in diameter, positioned at a 37-degree tilt, and reaching 200 feet in height, The Ring appears to defy gravity. Its mirrored surface reflects the heart and spirit of Silicon Valley’s infinite possibility. Unity Park is organized in three concentric rings, each echoing a computing era - past, present and future.
A remarkable symbol of human achievement with its majestic beauty, The Ring rises, encircles, and celebrates unity at Confluence Point, Silicon Valley, and with the world beyond.
The Ring, an engineering and technological masterpiece, rises as a powerful symbol of unity and welcome gateway to Silicon Valley. Measuring 400 feet in diameter, positioned at a 37-degree tilt, and reaching 200 feet in height, The Ring appears to defy gravity. Its mirrored surface reflects the heart and spirit of Silicon Valley’s infinite possibility.
Unity Park is organized in three concentric rings, initiated at the center of the Confluence Point site. Like a pebble dropped in water, each “ring” echoes a computing era - past, present and future. With reference to the past, enormous, roughhewn Sentinel Stones “guard” the periphery and align with site markers, celebrating key celestial events. These magnificent stones are inspired by what many consider the world’s first “computer,” Stonehenge. Earthen berm structures, which embrace the river’s two sides, symbolize today’s “binary realm,” housing shops, restaurants, and tech museum. At the heart of the park, The Ring inspires the next technological leap.
Spanning the site and anchored within the design zones is the .25-mile circular bridge, The Loop, which The Ring cycles around with a movement resembling a spinning coin. This motion is described by the Euler Identity – an exemplar of deep mathematical beauty. Nobel laureate and physicist Richard Feynman called this profound identity “our jewel.” Without such a “jewel,” today’s microprocessors would not exist. The Ring is interactive – while circling the park, passengers reach its 200-foot summit, offering stunning perspectives of the park and bay valley. The unusual, wave-like motion one experiences inside will be akin to riding what can only be described as a three-dimensional Ferris Wheel.
Unity Park is modeled on an Eco-Block, a fully integrated systems-approach to sustainable design that includes net zero energy strategies, zero waste, and deep-water conservation. Features include a 400- foot diameter wind turbine along the inner edge of The Loop and state-of-the-art solar paving. At night, in consideration of sensitive wildlife, Unity Park and The Ring come alive with a moving and magical lighting experience. Integrated below The Loop structure is a non-directional acoustic system designed to create a soundscape within the park. The intention is to mitigate traffic and city noises, while enhancing nature’s sounds - birds, wind, and the waters of Confluence Point. A truly remarkable symbol of human achievement with its majestic beauty, The Ring rises, encircles, and celebrates unity at Confluence Point, Silicon Valley, and with the world beyond.
