URBAN MACHINE

As part of the ongoing harbour transformation and urban development on Aarhus Ø, a new utility station - Urban Machine - serves as an infrastructural hub generating heat from sea water, collecting household garbage through an underground system as well as a district heating facility. Due to its central location between the city centre and the new urban development, the City of Aarhus wanted to create an open building, allowing by-passers and residents to see the inside of the state-of-the-art utility station.

The industrial looking building is wrapped in a perforated steel facade with large openings revealing the shiny metal pipes inside. Spots on the trees, wash lights on the outside, LED strips between the perforated facade and the concrete core as well as the regular light fixtures inside the building, can be controlled based on activity in the facility, weather data or through user interaction at special events during the year.

Kollision was commissioned by Affald Varme to activate the building through the use of lights in a novel way. This was done in dialogue with Rambøll who designed the building as well as the perforated facade pattern. All light fixtures of the installation are mapped in 3D space and controlled by Kollision's MAP player. Moto Muto has delivered hardware control of standard fixtures interfacing with Kollision’s software and lighting design.

Movie by Allan Toft.