In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur

In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur

Ljusarkitektur designed a new night-time lighting concept for a family-friendly 3.5-kilometre slope at the Swedish skiing resort of Åre. The project is called “In the Footsteps of the Giants,” and was developed with author Mathias Knave. It is based on old Nordic tales of giants and trolls.

In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur


In the Footsteps of Giants, SkiStar Åre Sweden, by Ljusarkitektur from Ljusarkitektur on Vimeo.

The concept includes glowing orange poles that refer to fire and lava beneath the surface, dynamic blue-hued general light that echoes the moonlight, sparkling rocks and hidden treasures. The effects are achieved with projections of ancient motifs and stories that remind skiers of the colourful past at the peak area around Åre.

In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur

In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur

Finally you ski through a tunnel of light – the transition between the giants’ and the man’s world. Other programmed light scenarios can also be used later in the evenings and in the early mornings when the lifts are not open. These fascinate visitors and villagers alike, and keep rumours alive about the giants said to live on Åre Mountain.

In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur

Ljusarkitektur creative director Kai Piippo had this to say about the project: “This is both a landscape and an experience project. We have been able to use the best available technology both to continue and to reinvent the tradition of storytelling from the area that dates back hundreds of years.”

The installation uses 240 color-changing Lumenpulse luminaires to cast an eerie moonlight glow over the slopes to create an attraction that has boosted the resort’s night-time economy.

In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur

In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur

In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur
In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur
In the Footsteps of the Giants | Åre Sweden | Ljusarkitektur

DESIGN | Ljusarkitektur
IMAGES by Mikael Silkeberg and Courtesy of Lumenpulse.

About Damian Holmes 3446 Articles
Damian Holmes is the Founder and Editor of World Landscape Architecture (WLA). He is a registered landscape architect (AILA) working in international design practice in Australia. Damian founded WLA in 2007 to provide a website for landscape architects written by landscape architects. Connect on Linkedin at https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianholmes/