[PDF] Press Release: A rainbow over Aarhus [http://www.lifepr.de?boxid=243940]

1. Press release
Dornbirn, July 2011
A rainbow over Aarhus
Zumtobel luminaires illuminate Olafur Eliasson‘s “Your rainbow panorama”

2. Can you really walk through a rainbow? Yes, stalled at a height of 50 metres has a diameter
now you can: in Aarhus, Denmark, on top of of 52 metres, a width of three meters and rests
the roof of the Danish Art Museum ARoS, to on slim columns three and a half metres above
be precise, where renowned artist Olafur Elias- the rooftop of the museum. Visitors inside “Your
son has implemented a spectacular installati- rainbow panorama” enjoy a unique panoramic
on: a 150-metre circular walkway titled “Your view over Aarhus through the glass walls. Each
rainbow panorama”. Visitors to the rainbow ring of the coloured glass panels had to be speci-
located at a height of 50 metres can enjoy a fically made for this purpose, since a special
breath-taking 360° view of the harbour town. curvature was required to achieve the circular
The daylight filtering through the curved glass path. These panels are the only load-bearing
walls in all colours of the spectrum, each of structures that support the roof. By day, it is
them specifically made for this purpose, cre- natural sunlight that is filtered through the lami-
ates the impression of being inside a rainbow. nated glass, making the entire installation seem
For the installation to be visible also at night, to glow in the colours of the rainbow. At dusk
Eliasson relied on Zumtobel, his long-term part- and at night, daylight is replaced by 116 special
ner in lighting: from dusk till dawn, a specially recessed uplights provided by Zumtobel.
developed lighting solution incorporating 116
recessed uplights installed along the inner pe- In order to achieve the same effect as by day,
riphery of the ring transforms the white ceiling all the luminaires had to be concealed. The
into a source of light, so that the panoramic lighting solution expert solved this problem by
walkway appears like a rainbow hovering abo- using a specially developed indirect lighting
ve the museum. system: T16 uplights were installed along the
inner perimeter of the walkway. The special lu-
This is how Olafur Eliasson describes his design minaires have been recessed into the edges of
concept: “Your rainbow panorama enters into a the floor below a walkable anti-glare louvre. The
dialogue with the existing architecture and re- reflectors and materials used for the luminaires
inforces what is assured beforehand, that is to were specially optimised for this project, so
say the view of the city. I have created a space that the entire ceiling surface is symmetrically
which virtually erases the boundaries between illuminated. Thus, the ceiling of the panoramic
inside and outside – where people become a walkway becomes a virtual source of light that
little uncertain as to whether they have stepped makes the coloured glass panels seem to glow
into a work or into a part of the museum. This against a light background, while visitors are
uncertainty is important to me, as it encourages still able to enjoy the view from inside.
people to think and sense beyond the limits
within which they are accustomed to moving.” Dr. Harald Sommerer, CEO of the Zumtobel
brand, sums up: “Projects of this kind allow us
“Your rainbow panorama” is the last puzzle pi- to provide evidence of our excellence in profes-
ece of the ARoS Art Museum, which had been sionally illuminating objects of art and culture.
completed in 2004. The cube-shaped, nine- We are pleased that we were able to provide a
storey museum building boasting a glass front lighting concept that makes Olafur Eliasson‘s
and a spaciously designed museum street in- panoramic walkway glow amazingly in the dark,
side seems to be the perfect location for the ensuring that visitors will have an unique archi-
rainbow installation. The circular walkway in- tectural lighting experience.”

3. B1 I The panoramic walkway “Your rainbow panorama” with coloured glass walls is illuminated by a special
solution provided by lighting solution expert Zumtobel.
B2 I Special uplights recessed into the floor make the unique installation glow in all colours of the spectrum
– just like a real rainbow. For this purpose, the ceiling is symmetrically illuminated, so that the coloured glass
panels seem to radiate colours from inside.

4. Your rainbow panorama,
Aarhus/DK
Client:
ARoS Kunstmuseum, Aarhus/DK
Architects:
Studio Olafur Eliasson, Berlin/D
Electrical consultant:
NIRAS, Aarhus/DK
Steel construction/structural
calculations:
Rohlfing, Stemwede/D
Electrical installations:
Risskov Installatoer Forretning A/S,
Risskov/DK
Lighting installation:
Zumtobel
Special solution: 116 indirect lumi-
naires with special reflector technology
(1/54 W)
More information:
Zumtobel Lighting GmbH
Nadja Frank
PR Manager
Schweizer Straße 30
A - 6850 Dornbirn
Tel. +43 (0)5572 390 - 1303
Fax +43 (0)5572 390 - 91303
Publication of this document is free if due acknowledgement is made: nadja.frank@zumtobel.com
www.zumtobel.com
© Ole Hein Pedersen