World's Largest Flower - Floralis Genérica

Floralis Genérica is a unique and huge flower sculpture at United Nations Plaza, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Designed and gifted to the city by architect Eduardo Catalano, the concrete/stainless steel flower has petals of polished aluminium. The petals of 23 meter high flower are provided with electro-hydraulic mechanism which is programmed to gradually open/close the flower as per the movement of the sun through the day sky. Thus it starts opening in the morning, its 6 petals fully bloom by noon, showing its stamens and then the petals gradually close by the sunset.

At night it emanates red colour by means of lights which are installed within the flower. The flower when fully closed has a diameter of 16 metres which increases to 32 metres on full bloom. The flower inaugurated in April 2002 is set in a 44 metres diameter circular reflecting pool.

The name Floralis Genérica is meant to represent the collective flowers of the World and the red light in the night is the red glow of rebirth of the next day.

This flower is reportedly the largest floral sculpture in the World. I have not been able to ascertain whether this is bigger or the Giant Anamorphic Red Flower, Nanning Gateway, China is bigger. However this flower is dynamic unlike the two Nanning flowers, where one flower is static and the second is anamorphic.