daan roosegaarde unravels a rainbow of light at amsterdam central station
all images © studio roosegaarde / pim hendriksen

 

 

 

amsterdam’s 125-year old central station now not only serves as platform for approximately 50 million travelers annually, but also offers commuters and passersby a vibrant, creative experience. dutch designer daan roosegaarde has opened a large-scale light artwork that arcs across the curvature of the semi-circular canopy, connecting the historic site with today’s innovative technologies. ‘rainbow station’ has been developed in collaboration with astronomers of the university of leiden, which together realized a lens projector that unravels light efficiently into a spectrum of colors. the liquid crystal technology — typically developed for research on exoplanets (planets orbiting stars other than the sun) — allows the series of hues to take the exact shape of the landmark’s 45-meter wide roof.


 

the installation can be visualized every day for one year, but only for a brief moment: within one hour after sunset, at the east side of the station. roosegaarde describes that the engaging artwork ‘creates a unique place for travelers, an experience you can not download.’

 

 


rainbow station by daan roosegaarde
video courtesy of

daan roosegaarde opens rainbow station at amsterdam central station
the series of hues to take the exact shape of the landmark’s 45-meter wide roof

daan roosegaarde opens rainbow station at amsterdam central station
the installation connects the historic site with today’s innovative technologies

daan roosegaarde opens rainbow station at amsterdam central station
the installation can be visualized every day for one year, but only for a brief moment: within one hour after sunset

daan roosegaarde opens rainbow station at amsterdam central station
a lens projector unravels light efficiently into a spectrum of colors

daan roosegaarde opens rainbow station at amsterdam central station
from the interior, a series of hues takes the exact shape of the landmark’s 45-meter wide roof

daan roosegaarde opens rainbow station at amsterdam central station

daan roosegaarde opens rainbow station at amsterdam central station
roosegaarde describes that the artwork ‘creates a unique place for travelers, an experience you can not download’

daan roosegaarde opens rainbow station at amsterdam central station

daan roosegaarde opens rainbow station at amsterdam central station
a collaboration with astronomers of the university of leiden realized a lens projector that unravels light efficiently