Shimmer Wall

The new Raleigh Convention Center is getting a dazzling outdoor art installation thanks to Cree, Inc. The company's $1 million gift will fund the creation of a 9,284-square-foot "shimmer wall" on the center's western side. Comprised of 79,464 four-inch aluminum pixels, the Cree Shimmer Wall will measure 211-feet by 44-feet. To aid nighttime "shimmering," 56 LED fixtures will backlight the wall, which will rise up over some of the city's most highly trafficked streets.

The shimmer wall, besides reflecting the imagination and innovation that have made the Research Triangle area famous, will also display an iconic image of Raleigh: the oak tree. At rest, the almost 80,000 4-inch by 4-inch aluminum pixels will depict a mighty oak in shades of silver -- but the image will shift and change according to the wind blowing past it, or the sunlight shining on it.