Wind Chimes
- Installed
1967
- Design
Tom Van Sant
Glance up the Macy’s façade and you’ll spot 73 bronze “bells” rippling in the breeze—Tom Van Sant’s sculptural wind chime, created with architect William Pereira for Robinson’s department store in 1967. At installation, it claimed The Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest wind chime. Today, they serve as a quiet reminder of Fashion Island’s design-led, mid-century roots when it debuted as the West Coast’s first indoor-outdoor mall.
Did You Know?
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Each bell hides a cluster of tuned pipes (more than 300 total), softening the sound so coastal winds deliver a gentle shimmer instead of a clang.
Modernist architect William Pereira was the era’s prototypical starchitect, featured on the Sept. 6, 1963 cover of Time magazine. Pereira's celebrated work of structures designed throughout Southern California also includes the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (1965) and the Geisel Library at University of California, San Diego (1970).
On the perimeter of Fashion Island, take the time to appreciate Pereira's other mid-century gems, which include the space-age Pacific Life Building and Irvine Company headquarters.
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Fun Facts
The wind chime sculpture was recognized by The Guinness Book of World Records as the largest wind chime in the world at the time of installation at Fashion Island. Although it no longer holds that title, the installation remains a significant piece of public art, reflecting the innovative spirit of its era.
The “bells” don’t chime in the traditional sense—instead, they were built to interact with the wind, sunlight, and shadows, creating a visual rhythm that moves with the coastal breeze.
