The Green Crane

The industrial harbour areas in Aalborg have undergone major changes in recent years integrating these as a part of the inhabited city. The Green Crane - an old industrial structure used for emptying grain from cargo ships - is located at Østre Havn (East Harbour), facing the Limfjord. The crane has been chosen worthy of preservation and plays an important role as a landmark and historical reference in the ongoing transformation of the industrial harbour into housing and recreational areas.

In order to make the crane more visible in the dark hours, Kollision was asked to develop a lighting design concept. The basic idea is to work with the somewhat torn existing identity of the crane by emphasising its natural colours and highlighting its shape - and at the same time being able to stage the crane in new ways in during special events and activities in the city. Six wash light fixtures have been strategically placed on nearby posts and on the actual crane construction, which creates a fully illuminated 3-dimensional structure revealing almost strange shapes in different variations of colours and shadows. The lighting design also includes a lit space underneath the crane, which creates an embracing and safe feeling. 

Kollision designed and mapped the lighting concept, and the installation is running on Kollisions' MAP player. SGM has provided light sources and made a series of technically light calculations as a basis for dimensioning the fixtures. KT Elektric did the installation.