Silo 468, a permanent art installation and public space by Lighting Design Collective, has become a literal beacon of light for the redevelopment of Kruunuvuorenranta, a once-thriving oil port in Helsinki, Finland.
One worker with a flame-cutter made each of the 2,012 holes, which are 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) in diameter.
After spending 30 minutes in the all-red interior, visitors exiting Silo 468 will perceive complementary and contrasting colors—such as the blue water and sky, and the green of nearby trees—as more intense, designer Tapio Rosenius says. At midnight, the deep red hue seeps to the silo’s exterior when, for one hour, the surface is awash in red lights, a reminder that the silo was once an energy source.
Steel brackets attach the mirrors and 1,280 LEDs to tensioned steel wires that run vertically inside the silo wall.
The interior of Silo 468
The lighting patterns are derived from real-time weather data.
Section through Silo 468
