Modern & artDalmatia

The Sea Organ in Zadar: an instrument played by the waves

The Sea Organ (Morske orgulje) is an architectural sound-art object on the waterfront of Zadar and an experimental musical instrument in one. Set into a long flight of white marble steps on the western part of the Old Town promenade, it plays whenever the sea moves. Opened in 2005, it is one of the most original modern monuments on the Croatian coast.

Zadar has an instrument nobody plays: the Adriatic does. Waves push water and air through 35 pipes hidden beneath marble steps, and the music is never quite the same twice.

WhereWestern part of the Old Town waterfront in Zadar, next to the Monument to the Sun

TypeModern sound-art installation and architectural instrument, opened in 2005

Best forArchitecture and music lovers, a seaside stop on a walk through Zadar

Getting thereOn the promenade of the Zadar peninsula, a few steps from the Church of St Donatus

The history of the Sea Organ

Zadar suffered heavily in the Second World War, and the hurried rebuilding that followed turned much of its sea front into an unbroken, monotonous concrete wall. At the start of the 21st century the city set out to redesign this shore, a project known as the Nova Riva, or new waterfront.

The architect Nikola Bašić proposed the Sea Organ as part of that project. In the first phase of work on the western part of the peninsula, he planned an instrument built into the quay wall below a stepped section of the promenade, about 75 metres long. The Sea Organ opened to the public on 15 April 2005, marking the completion of works on the Istarska and Petar Krešimir IV waterfront. Bašić also designed the nearby Monument to the Sun.

He did not work alone: Ivica Stamać was responsible for the sound, Vladimir Andročec for the hydraulics, and the organ-building workshop Heferer designed and tuned the pipes. Hidden under the white marble steps are 35 plastic tubes of different lengths and diameters, rising from the sea at an angle of about 20 degrees to end in pipes of different pitch. Stainless steel was chosen for the part of the pipe that makes the sound because it can be controlled and finished precisely. A resonating cavity completes the system.

The principle is simple. Waves push water into the tubes, the moving water forces air through the pipes, and the pipes sound. The result is somewhat random but harmonic. Stamać composed seven sound clusters made of two major chords, G and C6, that alternate, and the choice of notes follows the musical pattern of the Dalmatian klapa song. In May 2006 the project won the European Prize for Urban Public Space, a prize Bašić shared with a Dutch project in Zaanstad.

Curiosities about the Sea Organ

Unlike ordinary organs driven by bellows or air pumps, this one is powered only by the energy of the sea: waves, tides and the ebb and flow of water.
There are 35 pipes in all, of varying length, shape and diameter, and the instrument stretches along about 75 metres of the quay.
The tones are tuned to seven clusters of two major chords, and their choice is based on the musical pattern of klapa singing.
No performance is ever repeated: the sound depends entirely on the force and rhythm of the waves on that day.
The same architect, Nikola Bašić, designed the Monument to the Sun that lies right next to the Sea Organ.
In 2006 the Sea Organ shared first place in the European Prize for Urban Public Space, chosen from 207 projects from 31 European countries.

Tours near Sea Organ

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

Zadar Highlights: Old Town, Sea Organ & Local Tastings

★ 5 (474 reviews) · 2 h

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Experience Zadar Archipelago with Antares sailing shared tour

★ 5 (77 reviews) · 4 h

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Private Boat Tour To Pakleni Islands and Red Rocks

★ 5 (41 reviews) · 5 h

See details ›

Full Day Sailing Tour

★ 5 (39 reviews) · 9 h

See details ›

Visiting the Sea Organ

Walk down the white marble steps towards the water and sit or stand near the openings in the promenade, where the sound comes out.
Listen for the changing sounds: stronger and gentler waves change the music. No schedule is needed, as it plays whenever the sea moves.
The Monument to the Sun is right beside it, and the Church of St Donatus is also very close, so all three can be seen on one short stroll.
The Sea Organ is part of the public waterfront promenade; check locally for any restrictions or works before you go.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.